PV Sindhu has continued her dominant run, as she easily qualified for the quarterfinals of the 2026 Singapore Open Super 750. On Thursday, the two-time Olympic medalist played a brilliant match, defeating Japan’s Riko Gunji 21-9, 21-12 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Gunji is ranked 19th in the BWF Women's World Rankiongs, while Sindhu currently stands on 11th.
Right from the opening serve, Sindhu was in charge. Using her height and long reach, she hit powerful smashes that her younger opponent just couldn't handle. PV Sindhu quickly built a massive 18-9 lead in the first game. Gunji spent most of her time defending, struggling to keep up with Sindhu's fast pace and smart shot placement. In no time, Sindhu comfortably wrapped up the first game 21-9.
The second game was a very similar story. Gunji tried to keep the rallies going longer, hoping to wear PV Sindhu down. However, the Indian star stayed calm and focused. After taking a 12-8 lead midway through the game, Sindhu kept the pressure high. She controlled the game brilliantly, and forced her opponent into making errors, and smoothly won the game 21-12.
PV Sindhu's win proved that she is high on confidence right now. She started the tournament with a tough, hard-fought victory over Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani, who is ranked sixth in the world. This was followed by the win against the World No.19 on Thursday, which was a much easier test.
However, things are about to get much harder in the next round. In the Quarter Final,PV Sindhuwill face the reigning world champion, Akane Yamaguchi from Japan. Yamaguchi earned her spot by easily beating Canada’s Michelle Li 21-14, 21-6.
Earlier, HS Prannoy secured a stunning three-game victory handing one of the tournament favourites, World No.5 Jonathan Christie of Indonesia a defeat.
The 33-year-old, a 2023 World Championships and Asian Games bronze medallist, defeated the world No. 5 in just over an hour. This crucial win marks Prannoy's first victory over Christie in five years, breaking a drought dating back to the 2021 Indonesia Open and improving his previous 3-7 head-to-head record against the Indonesian star.
Shaunak Ghosh is a Senior Sports Correspondent at Timesnownews with over seven years of experience in print and digital journalism. He holds a postgra...View More
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