PV Sindhu Crashes Out in Hong Kong Open First Round

By Abhishek Kumar

In a major upset India’s badminton star PV Sindhu made a shock first-round exit from the Hong Kong Open Super 500 losing to unseeded Danish shuttler Line Christophersen in three hard-fought games Sindhu went down 21-15, 16-21, 19-21 bringing her campaign to an abrupt end.

Sindhu started well controlling the rallies and taking the first game 21-15 But in the second momentum shifted as Christophersen fought back strongly At 13-12 up Sindhu lost five points in a row allowing the Dane to level the contest The deciding game was a tense affair with scores tied at 19-all But Christophersen held her nerve and grabbed the final two points to seal the match This defeat was Sindhu’s first loss in six meetings against Christophersen making the result even more surprising It also marks her sixth early exit on the BWF World Tour this year reflecting an inconsistent season despite flashes of form including a recent World Championships quarterfinal.

While Sindhu’s run ended early India’s challenge continues with HS Prannoy Lakshya Sen and Kiran George advancing into the next rounds keeping the country’s hopes alive.