PV Sindhu, the two-time Olympic medallist, made a strong start to her campaign at the Japan Masters 2024 in Kumamoto. She defeated eighth seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand in straight games, winning 21-12, 21-8 in just 38 minutes.
Match Highlights
Sindhu began the match on the back foot, trailing 5-7 in the opening game. However, she made a remarkable comeback to lead 11-9 at the break. She continued her dominance in the second game, never allowing Busanan to take the lead, and won 11 of the last 12 points to seal the match.
This victory is a significant boost for Sindhu, who has been aiming to regain her form after an early exit in the Paris Olympics. She has also reached the quarter-finals of the Denmark Open Super 750 in October, indicating a positive trajectory in her performance.
The next step for PV Sindhu
With this win, Sindhu has advanced to the pre-quarterfinals, where she will face Michelle Li of Canada on November 14. This match will be their 15th encounter on the BWF Circuit, with Sindhu leading their head-to-head 10-4.
PV Sindhu defeated Busanan 21-12, 21-8 to reach the R16 of Japan Masters
A dominating victory for Sindhu as she was looking comfortable
Head to Head is now 19-1 🔥 pic.twitter.com/uHwmQiKDgU
— 🇮🇳 Thomas Cup 22 🏆 (@Anmolkakkar27) November 13, 2024
Lakshya Sen exits early
On the other hand, there was bad news for India in the men’s singles section. Lakshya Sen lost to unseeded Leong Jun Hao of Japan in the first round. It was a heartbreaking defeat for the young shuttler as he won the opening game before losing steam in the next two. Lakshya lost 22-20, 17-21, 16-21 in a match that lasted an hour and 14 minutes.
Lakshya’s form late in the season has been a cause for concern. Since losing the Olympic bronze medal match to Lee Zii Jia, Lakshya exited the Arctic Open in the second round and the Denmark Open in the first round.
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