Badminton

Indian badminton star PV Sindhu's impressive run at the Denmark Open came to an end in the quarterfinals, as she succumbed to a 13-21, 21-16, 9-21 defeat against Indonesia's Gregoria Tunjung. The loss marked the conclusion of India's campaign in the tournament.Tunjung, the Paris Olympics bronze medalist, displayed her dominance throughout the match, particularly in the first and third games. She controlled the pace and executed her shots with precision, leaving Sindhu struggling to keep up. Despite Sindhu's valiant effort in the second game, Tunjung's consistency proved too much to overcome.Sindhu's defeat extends a disappointing season for the two-time Olympic medalist. After returning empty-handed from the Paris Games, she has failed to secure a title in any of the subsequent tournaments she has participated in.The loss to Tunjung highlights the challenges Sindhu faces as she attempts to regain her previous form. The Indonesian shuttler has now won three of their last four encounters, demonstrating her growing threat to Sindhu's dominance in the women's singles category.Sindhu's exit from the Denmark Open leaves the tournament wide open for the remaining contenders. Top-seed An Se Young of South Korea, who defeated Sindhu in the semifinals of the Paris Olympics, will face Tunjung in the semifinals.

Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen are determined to rebound from a disappointing start to their season at the USD 850,000 Denmark Open Super 750, which begins on Tuesday.Both players struggled at the Arctic Open in Vantaa, Finland, last week. Former world champion Sindhu was eliminated in the first round, while 2021 world bronze medalist Sen lost in the second round.At Arena Fyn in Odense, they hope for better results as they lead India's challenge in this prestigious tournament, the 13th event of the 2024 BWF World Tour.Sen, who finished fourth at the Paris Olympics, lost a close match to Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen last week. In Odense, the 23-year-old from Almora will face China's Lu Guang Zu in his opening match, an opponent he has yet to meet in professional badminton. If he advances, Sen could face Indonesia's Jonatan Christie in the second round, with reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand likely waiting for him in the quarter-finals.Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, needs to address the issues affecting her performance after a disappointing first-round loss to Canada's Michelle Li, an opponent she had previously defeated 10 times. Under the guidance of new coaches Anup Sridhar and Korea's Lee Hyun-il, she will open against Chinese Taipei's Pai Yu Po and could potentially face China's Han Yue in the second round if she progresses.In addition to Sindhu, India will have several other competitors in women's singles, including the in-form Malvika Bansod, Aakarshi Kashyap, and promising talent Unnati Hooda. Bansod, who reached the quarterfinals of the China Open, will face Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh at first, while Kashyap faces Thailand's Supanida Katethong. Hooda, the 2022 Odisha Open winner, will compete against Lauren Lam from the USA.While there will be no Indian representation in men's doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who missed the Paris Olympics, will compete in the women's doubles, taking on the fifth-seeded Malaysian duo of Pearly Tan and Thinnah Muralitharan. The Panda sisters, Swetaparna and Rutaparna, will face off against Chang Ching Hui and Yang Ching Tung of Chinese Taipei.In mixed doubles, the husband-wife combination of B Sumeeth Reddy and Sikki Reddy are set to face Canada's Kevin Lee and Eliana Zhang, while Sathish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath will take on Indonesia's Rehan Kusharjanto and Lisa Kusumawati.

Viktor Axelsen, the reigning Olympic champion from Denmark, successfully defended his title in the men's singles badminton event at the Paris Olympics. In a dominant performance, Axelsen defeated Thailand's world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in straight sets (21-11, 21-11) in just 52 minutes.Axelsen, the second seed, was backed by a boisterous crowd of Danish fans at La Chapelle Arena. He quickly established his dominance, building a commanding lead in the first game. Despite a promising start from Vitidsarn, Axelsen's superior experience and tactical prowess proved too much to overcome.In the second game, Axelsen unleashed his full arsenal of shots, including powerful smashes and precise drop shots. Vitidsarn fought valiantly, but Axelsen's relentless pace and unwavering focus proved insurmountable.With the victory, Axelsen became the first man to retain the Olympic men's singles title since Chinese legend Lin Dan, who won in 2008 and 2012. The 30-year-old Dane celebrated his triumph by grabbing a Danish flag and running around the arena."To be honest, I didn't even know how I would like to celebrate when I won because I was so focused on winning," said Axelsen. "I was so focused on being calm and playing the right shots."Vitidsarn's silver medal marked Thailand's first-ever Olympic medal in badminton. The Thai player made a strong start but was unable to match Axelsen's consistency and power.In the bronze medal match, Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia defeated India's Lakshya Sen in three sets (13-21, 21-16, 21-11).China continued its dominance in badminton, topping the medals table for the seventh straight Olympics. The Chinese team won gold medals in the mixed and women's doubles events. Taiwan won the men's doubles gold, while South Korea's An Se-young claimed the women's singles title.