PV Sindhu, a former title holder, progressed to the second round of the Singapore Open Super 750 women's singles on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen fought hard but was eventually beaten by the top-ranked Viktor Axelsen. Sindhu, who had just finished as the runner-up at the Thailand Open, dispatched Denmark's Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt (World No.21) with a score of 21-12, 22-20 in a 44-minute match. She now prepares to face Spain's Carolina Marin, a Rio Olympic champion who has historically beaten Sindhu 11 times to her 5.
Former champion PV Sindhu advanced to the women’s singles second round of the Singapore Open Super 750 badminton tournament on Wednesday, while Lakshya Sen fought valiantly but was finally defeated by World No.1 Viktor Axelsen. Sindhu entered the competition after finishing as runner-up at the Thailand Open last week. She defeated Denmark’s World No.21 Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt 21-12, 22-20, in a match that lasted 44 minutes. Sindhu’s next opponent is Rio Olympic winner Carolina Marin of Spain, who has an 11-5 record against her.
Although Sindhu had never lost to Line in their three previous meetings, the match started as a deadlock, reaching 8-8. The tide turned when Sindhu executed a brilliant drop shot to take a two-point lead before the interval. As Line began to struggle with unforced errors during long rallies, Sindhu pushed the score to 16-11 and quickly closed out the game after reaching eight game points.
After the side switch, Sindhu kept the pressure on, racing to a 5-1 lead and reaching 11-7 by the break as Line struggled with her net shots. The Dane managed a spirited comeback to tie the score at 14-14 and came within four points of forcing a third set. However, Sindhu stepped up her intensity just in time, scoring six consecutive points to shut down any hope of a comeback and claim the win.
World No.14 Lakshya Sen, preparing for his first Olympic appearance in Paris, fought a grueling 62-minute match but eventually lost 13-21, 21-16, 13-21 to Axelsen. Sen started slowly, falling behind 1-4 as Axelsen used aggressive attacks to control the pace. Struggling with his depth and defensive consistency, Lakshya allowed the Dane to build a commanding 11-3 lead before losing the first set.
In the second game, Lakshya played with more aggression, focusing on dominating the net and hitting powerful returns from the baseline. After trailing 6-9, he fought back to level the score at 9-9. This shift in momentum continued after the break, with Lakshya taking a 14-12 lead. As he pushed to 18-14, his smashes became more effective, unsettling Axelsen and leading to several errors from the Dane. Lakshya ultimately claimed the game with a superb net dribble.
Lakshya initially controlled the frontcourt, establishing a 6-3 lead. However, Axelsen fought back to 7-7, and a few mistakes—including two poor lifts and a wide push—gave the Dane a slim one-point lead at the break. Once play resumed, Axelsen completely took over, winning 8 of the next 9 points to reach 19-11 and secure a decisive victory.