Sindhu lone bright spot
Gold Coast (Australia): PV Sindhu’s win was the only bright spot on a dismal day as India suffered a 1-4 loss to Denmark in their opening match of the Sudirman Cup mixed team championships here Monday.
Up against two-time runners-up Denmark, India came a cropper after they lost the first three ties – mixed doubles, men’s singles and men’s doubles – to fall behind 0-3 in the five-match rubber.
Starting the proceedings, the experienced Ashwini Ponnappa and the young Satwiksairaj Rankireddy put up a good fight in mixed doubles before losing to Olympic bronze medallist Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen 15-21, 21-16, 17-21.
A lot was expected from World No.13 Ajay Jayaram after his recent success against Viktor Axelsen at the Malaysia Open but the Mumbai shuttler capitulated 12-21, 7-21 in just 27 minutes as India slipped to 0-2.
In men’s doubles, Rio Olympians Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy crossed swords with former Olympic silver medallists Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen. After 33 minutes, it was the Danish pair who emerged victorious 21-17, 21-15.
Sindhu then took court and put India on the scoreboard with a fluent 21-18, 21-6 win over Line Kjaersfeldt in a 32-minute women’s singles match.
In the fifth match, Ashwini and N Sikki Reddy fought hard before losing 21-18, 15-21, 21-23 to Olympic silver-medallists Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Christinna.
India will next face former champions Indonesia, Wednesday.
PTI
