The Indian contingent faced a disappointing exit from the French Open badminton tournament, as both P V Sindhu and the accomplished men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, bid farewell during the second round on Thursday.
In her second-round women’s singles match, double Olympic medalist Sindhu exhibited her prowess by securing the first game with a score of 21-18. However, her journey took an unexpected turn when, during the second game tied at 1-1, she experienced discomfort in her left knee. The pivotal moment arrived when, while attempting to return a shot from Katethong, Sindhu stretched herself too far, resulting in a knee injury.
Sindhu took immediate measures by applying a magic spray and consulting the tournament doctor. She also sought guidance from her coach, Hafiz Hashim, twice during the match. Unfortunately, the severity of the injury prompted her to concede the match to Katethong, who advanced to the quarterfinals. It was a bittersweet turn of events for Sindhu, who had previously triumphed over the seventh seed, Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia, in a hard-fought opening round.
Sindhu’s resurgence in the BWF world rankings, where she re-entered the top 10 after six months, had generated anticipation and excitement. However, her journey in the French Open was cut short by this untimely injury.
Later in the day, the third-seeded Indian men’s doubles duo, Satwik and Chirag, faced a fierce challenge from the Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan. The match unfolded as a closely contested battle, with the Indonesian team ultimately emerging victorious with a score of 23-25, 21-19, 19-21. This defeat marked the end of the road for Satwik and Chirag in the tournament, bringing a close to India’s campaign at the French Open.
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