Sindhu, Srikanth lose in openers
Bangkok, Jan. 27: Star Indian shuttlers P. V. Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth fought their hearts out before suffering close defeats in their respective group ‘B’ openers at the $1.5 million HSBC BWF World Tour Finals here on Wednesday.
A week after a demoralising defeat at the Toyota Thailand Open quarterfinals, World champion Sindhu produced a muchimproved performance but still lost to world number one Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan 21-19, 12-21, 17-21.
“It was a good match, there were no easy points. In the third game I came back and it was just one point difference at one stage. I broke my racket strings twice (during rallies) and that made a difference,” Sindhu said.
“It’s a tough group. I have to give 100 per cent,” she added.
It was defeat to meetings.
Former world number one Srikanth too squandered an opening game advantage, losing 21-15, 1621, 18-21 to world number three Anders Antonsen of
It was a good match, there were no easy points. In the third game I came back and it was just one point difference at one stage. I broke my racket strings twice (during rallies) and that made a difference.
— P. V. SINDHU after going down to
Tai Tzu Ying 21-19,
12-21, 17-21
Sindhu’s Tzu Ying
16th in 21
Denmark in a gruelling 77minute contest.
Olympic silver medallist Sindhu, who had won the prestigious title in 2018, will next play home favourites Ratchanok Intanon, who had handed her a humiliating defeat last week, while Srikanth, ranked 14th, will face fourth seed Wang Tzu Wei of Chinese Taipei on Thursday.
In the women’s singles, the opening game was a close fight as Sindhu and Tzu Ying engaged in an enticing battle.
Tzu Ying led 5-3 early on before grabbing a 11-8 advantage at the interval as Sindhu lost a few points on the net. —