India’s two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu crashed out of the Hong Kong Open Super 500, losing to Denmark’s unseeded Line Christophersen on Wednesday.
Sindhu, who had reached the BWF World Championships quarterfinals last month, went down 21-15, 16-21, 19-21 in the round of 32. The defeat that Sindhu conceded in just an hour was her first against the 25-year-old Dane after five previous wins.
The Indian started in a fashion, surging ahead 3-1 in the opening game. From 14-13, she allowed Christophersen only one more point before sealing the opener. The second game, however, slipped away as Sindhu led 13-12 but conceded five straight points to lose momentum.
The decider turned into a nerve-wracking battle, with the scores tied at 19-all. Christophersen held firm to take the final two points and knock out the former World Champion.
Sindhu’s exit comes just as she seemed to be rediscovering form after early-season setbacks at the Swiss Open and Japan Open.
