New Delhi: Defending champion PV Sindhu suffered a narrow defeat in a pulsating final against American Beiwen Zhang to finish runner-up at the India Open Super 300 badminton tournament, here Sunday.
Playing her second tournament of the new season, Sindhu came agonisingly close to clinching the title before losing 18-21, 21-11, 20-22 to Zhang in the women’s singles final.
Sindhu always played long matches against Zhang, all of them going to the decider, and it was no different as the duo battled till the last point. Prior to Sunday’s loss, Sindhu had won twice and lost once at the Indonesia Super Series Premier last year against the American.
All England Championships finalist and fourth seed Shi Yuqi of China walked away with the men’s crown after beating World No. 7 and third seeded Taiwanese Chou Tien Chen 21-18, 21-14 in a 47-minute duel.
Fifth seeded Danish combo of Mathias Christiansen and Christinna Pedersen prevailed 21-14, 21-15 over Indonesian pair of Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti in a 37-minute match to claim the mixed doubles crown, their first title together.
Mathias and Christinna had combined at the Denmark Open for the first time and finished runners-up at China Open Super
Series Premier and Hong Kong Open Super Series last year.
Third seeded Indonesian pair of Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu, who are ranked World No.7, defeated second seeded Thailand combo of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai 21-18, 21-15 in a 58-minute match to clinch the women’s doubles title.