2021 Denmark Open | PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth progress to second round with easy wins

10/19/2021

India’s ace shuttler PV Sindhu made a stunning return to the international circuit by winning her opening round match at the 2021 Denmark Open with an easy win over Turkey’s Neslihan Yigit 21-12, 21-10. Meanwhile, Kidambi Srikanth defeated compatriot B Sai Praneeth to progress to the second round.

PV Sindhu took a temporary break from the game after her bronze medal win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics earlier this year. She was all set to return in the 2021 Denmark Open, after a gap of more than two months, having skipped the Sudirman Cup and the Uber Cup a few days back.

Up against Turkey’s Turkey’s Neslihan Yigit 21-12, 21-10 in the opening round tie, India’s PV Sindhu needed just 30 minutes to seal the deal. The two-time Olympic medallist will lock horns with Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan or Ruselli Hartawan in the pre-quarterfinals.

In the men’s singles event, world no.14 Kidambi Srikanth eliminated compatriot B Sai Praneeth, with scores of 21-14, 21-11. Srikanth will be up against world no.1 Kento Momota in the round-of-16.

The Indian duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy also sailed over their English opponents Callum Hemming and Steven Stallwood with scores of 23-21, 21-15. The world no.7 pair will be up against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin in the round-of-16.

Meanwhile, the other pair in the men’s doubles section, MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila scripted a surprising win over world No. 17 pair of Ben Lane and Sean Vendy of the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, 2012 London Olympics medallist Saina Nehwal, along with Lakshya Sen and Ashwini Ponappa will begin their campaign on Wednesday.