Denmark Open: PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen Crash Out in First Round; Tanvi Sharma, Srikanth March On
India endured a mixed opening day at the Denmark Open Super 750 on Tuesday as PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen bowed out in the first round, while Kidambi Srikanth and rising shuttler Tanvi Sharma advanced to the Round of 16.
Two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu squandered an early advantage against Germany’s Yvonne Li, suffering a 21-13, 23-25, 19-21 defeat in a 65-minute contest at the SJF Bank Arena in Odense. After comfortably winning the opening game, the Indian failed to capitalise on crucial opportunities as Li mounted a spirited comeback.
The victory marked Li’s first win over Sindhu in four encounters and ended the Indian star’s campaign at the tournament.
Sindhu’s departure also dashed hopes of an all-Indian Round of 16 clash with Tanvi, who secured a hard-fought victory in her opening match. The youngster will now face Li for a place in the quarter-finals.
Sindhu Squanders Match Point as Li Stages Comeback
Sindhu was originally scheduled to face world No. 1 An Se-young, but several withdrawals reshaped the draw, bringing her up against Li, who entered the main draw from the reserves.
The Indian started strongly and wrapped up the opening game 21-13. Li responded in the second, raising her intensity and forcing Sindhu into a much tighter contest.
With the score level at 20-20, Sindhu had an opportunity to seal the match but could not convert it. Li capitalised on the missed chance, taking the game 25-23 to force a decider.
Sindhu appeared to be in a commanding position in the final game after building a 12-7 lead at the interval. However, Li reeled off six successive points to draw level and put the Indian on the back foot.
Sindhu answered with a four-point streak from 15-15 to regain the lead, but Li once again turned the contest around. Another run of six consecutive points helped the German complete a 21-19 victory and eliminate the Indian from the competition.
The defeat will be frustrating for Sindhu, who had controlled the match at several stages but could not finish the job.
Lakshya Sen Goes Down to Chou Tien-chen
Lakshya Sen also suffered an early exit after losing 18-21, 21-13, 15-21 to Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-chen.
Sen dropped the opening game but bounced back in the second with an impressive 21-13 win to take the match into a decider. Chou, ranked world No. 6, stepped up his game in the final set and secured victory after just over an hour of play.
The loss adds to a challenging run for Sen, who also exited in the second round at the 2026 Asian Games and the World Championships in New Delhi.
Srikanth, Tanvi Keep India’s Hopes Alive
Kidambi Srikanth and Tanvi Sharma delivered important wins to move into the Round of 16.
Srikanth overcame France’s Arnaud Merkle 22-20, 21-19 in 46 minutes. The former world No. 1 had to fight hard in the opening game before holding his nerve in the second to complete a straight-games victory.
The world No. 31 will next take on seventh seed Alex Lanier.
Tanvi, meanwhile, battled past Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira 21-17, 16-21, 21-19 in a 72-minute encounter. After winning the first game, the young Indian lost the second but recovered strongly in the decider to secure her place in the next round.
Tanvi will now face Li, the player responsible for Sindhu’s exit, with a quarter-final berth at stake.
With Sindhu and Sen out of contention, Srikanth and Tanvi will carry India’s hopes forward as the Denmark Open progresses.
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