2023 Malaysia Open | PV Sindhu ousted in opening round, loses to Carolina Marin
Star India shuttler PV Sindhu, who was making a comeback after the CWG 2022, lost in the first round of the 2023 Malaysia Open against Span's Carolina Marin on Wednesday. After five months of absence from the court, in her first match, the Indian lost in three games 21-12, 10-21, 21-15.
This was their first meeting since the Swiss Open final in 2021, where Sindhu had lost the battle. Marin put her opponent under pressure right from the first game and displayed good net play. The Indian looked a bit rusty but came back strongly in the second.
But she could not continue with her momentum in the deciding game and conceded another win to Marin. Her loss also meant the end of India's campaign in the women's singles category in the tournament. Prior to that, Malvika Bansod, world no. 28, had lost her match to world No. 4 An Se Young of South Korea 21-9, 21-13 in just 31 minutes.
In the men's singles, HS Prannoy won against compatriot Lakshya Sen in three games. Prannoy won 22-24, 21-12, 21-18 win over world No. 10 Sen in one hour and 15 minutes. In men's doubles, it was a smooth start forĀ Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, as they beat the world No. 9 South Korean pair of Choi Sol Gyu and Kim Won Ho 21-16, 21-13.