Denmark Open: PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen Suffer First-Round Exits; Tanvi Sharma, Kidambi Srikanth Advance
India’s campaign at the Denmark Open Super 750 got off to a mixed start on Tuesday, with two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen suffering first-round defeats, while Kidambi Srikanth and young shuttler Tanvi Sharma progressed to the Round of 16.
Sindhu let a promising start slip away against Germany’s Yvonne Li, losing 21-13, 23-25, 19-21 in a 65-minute contest at the SJF Bank Arena in Odense. The Indian won the opening game comfortably but failed to capitalise on crucial opportunities in the remaining two games.
Li staged a determined comeback to register her first victory over Sindhu in four meetings, ending the Indian shuttler’s campaign at the tournament.
The defeat also ruled out a potential all-Indian Round of 16 clash between Sindhu and Tanvi. The young Indian, who won her opening match, will now take on Li for a place in the quarter-finals.
Sindhu Fails to Close Out Match Against Li
Sindhu was initially scheduled to face world No. 1 An Se-young, but several withdrawals altered the draw, setting up her encounter with Li, who entered the main draw as a reserve.
The Indian began confidently, dominating the opening game to secure a 21-13 win. However, Li stepped up her performance in the second game, forcing Sindhu into a closely contested battle.
With the score tied at 20-20, Sindhu had an opportunity to close out the match but failed to convert it. Li held her nerve during the crucial exchanges, winning the game 25-23 to take the match into a decider.
Sindhu appeared to have regained control in the final game, establishing a 12-7 lead at the interval. Li, however, responded with six consecutive points to draw level and put the Indian under pressure.
Sindhu fought back by stringing together four points from 15-15 to regain the advantage. But Li produced another decisive run of six consecutive points to complete a 21-19 victory.
The loss will be a setback for Sindhu, who had looked well placed to advance after her commanding start.
Lakshya Sen Also Exits in First Round
Lakshya Sen endured a similar disappointment, going down to Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-chen in a three-game encounter.
The Indian lost the opening game 18-21 but responded strongly in the second, winning 21-13 to force a decider. Chou, the world No. 6, regained control in the final game to seal a 21-15 victory.
The defeat extends a difficult stretch for Lakshya, who also suffered second-round exits at the 2026 Asian Games and the World Championships in New Delhi.
Kidambi Srikanth, Tanvi Sharma Advance
Kidambi Srikanth and Tanvi Sharma provided positive results for India by winning their opening-round matches.
Srikanth defeated France’s Arnaud Merkle 22-20, 21-19 in 46 minutes. The former world No. 1 faced a stern challenge in the opening game but managed to edge ahead before maintaining his composure in the second to secure a straight-games victory.
The world No. 31 will next meet seventh seed Alex Lanier in the Round of 16.
Tanvi also battled hard to progress, overcoming Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira 21-17, 16-21, 21-19 in a 72-minute encounter.
After taking the opening game, the young Indian dropped the second but recovered in the decider to clinch a narrow victory.
Tanvi will now face Li, who enters the next round after her comeback win over Sindhu. The Indian youngster will look to build on her opening-round performance and continue her run at the Super 750 tournament.
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