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New Delhi: Star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu continued her impressive performance this year with yet another sensational show in the ongoing Malaysia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament. Sindhu, who witnessed a low 2025, showcased her class against Tomoko Miyazaki as he defeated the Japanese to book her spot in the quarterfinals of the event.
On the other hand, India's challenge in the men's singles at the event ended with the losses of star player Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty. Meanwhile, Sindhu who returned after a long injury lay-off, beat the eighth-seeded player 21-8, 21-13 in just a 33-minute encounter, exhibiting a brilliant stroke play and use of racquet.
Two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu will now take on third-seeded Japanese player Akane Yamaguchi, a three-time world champion, who beat Chinese national Gao Fang Jie 21-11 4-21 21-17 in another match. Meanwhile in the doubles category, top men's pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who had bagged second bronze medal at the world championships last year, also booked their place in the quarterfinals.
Satwik and Chirag registered a straight sets 21-18, 21-12 victory over Malaysia’s World No. 17 Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap in 39 minutes. The former world number, who had also marched into the finals of the Hong Kong Open and China Masters last year, extended their head-to-head record against the Malaysian pair 4-0.
The Asian Games champions will next face the winners of the clash between Chinese Taipei’s Chen Zhi Ray/Lin Yu Chieh and sixth seeds Fajar Alfian/Fikri Muhammad of Indonesia.
Sen, who had broken the three-year jinx of first-round exits in the tournament when he beat Singapore's Jia Heng Jason Teh on Wednesday, could not survive in the pre-quarterfinals to Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu 22-22 15-21 in 53 minutes. Shetty went down fighting against top seed Shi Yu Qi of China 18-21, 21-18, 12-12 in a 70-minute slugfest.
(With PTI inputs)
