P.V. Sindhu enters Denmark Open semifinals
The Hindu
PV Sindhu storms into Denmark Open semis with comfortable win over world No. 19. She displayed immaculate retrieving skills and exemplary net play to outshine Supanida Katethong in 47 minutes
Star Indian shuttler P.V. Sindhu showed glimpses of her old self, dishing out a compact game to storm into the semifinals of Denmark Open Super 750 tournament with a comfortable win over world No. 19 Supanida Katethong here on Friday.
The two-time Olympic medallist, who has endured a winless phase this season, displayed her immaculate retrieving skills and exemplary net play to outshine Katethong 21-19, 21-12 in 47 minutes and make it to a second semifinal in two weeks.
She had reached the semifinals at the Arctic Open Super 500 last week in Finland.
Sindhu will now face Spain's three-time world champion Carolina Marin, who has an overwhelming 10-5 record against the Indian. It is going to be a tricky contest as Sindhu has lost to the world No. 6 in the last four meetings.
It hasn't been exactly smooth sailing for Sindhu in this tournament as she took three games to get rid of her opponents -- world No. 28 Kristy Gilmour and world No. 7 Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the first two rounds.
Coming into this match, the Indian enjoyed a 3-2 record against the Thai but the twin losses at the India Open 2022 and 2023 editions would still hurt Sindhu, as it came in front of her home crowd.
But on Friday, the 28-year-old somewhat erased those memories as she matched her technically sound opponent in every department and managed to limit her errors to come up trumps.
Asian Games champion Avinash Sable opened his season in the 3000m steeple chase with a silver in the Portland Track Festival, a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze event, in Oregon on Saturday. He clocked 8:21.85s. Asian champion Parul Chaudhary took the bronze in the women’s 3000m steeple chase in a season-best 9:31.38s. Former Asian bronze medallist Sanjivani Jadhav struck gold in the women’s 10,000m in 32:22.77s, a time which was a second off her personal best, while Seema was sixth in 32:55.91s.