Hope I can take the confidence forward and do well in Japan, reveals PV Sindhu

PV Sindhu endured a heartbreaking loss in the final against Akane Yamaguchi at the recently-concluded Indonesia Open which was held on Sunday. The 24-year-old shuttler will have barely any time to recover as she aims to carry on the momentum from the weekend at this week’s BWF Japan Open which is scheduled to start on Tuesday.

"Overall, it was a good tournament for me at Indonesia and I hope I can take the confidence going forward and do well at Japan," Sindhu told PTI reporters after the finals on Sunday.

Sindhu missed an opportunity to break a seven-month title drought after she succumbed to a straight-set loss to Yamaguchi in Jakarta over the weekend. The Rio bronze medalist will look to get off to a bright start in Japan when she opens against China's Han Yue. If she does indeed cross the opening hurdle, Sindhu will face either Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour or Japan's  Aya Ohori in the second round.

The USD 750,000 tournament will also see the return of former world number one Saina Nehwal, who had missed the Indonesia Open Super 1000 event due to fitness concerns. Saina, seeded eighth and the only Indian to win a title this season, will open against Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan, against whom she boasts a 3-1 head-to-head advantage.