CHENNAI: The Denmark Open was always going to be tough for Indian shuttlers. Tuesday showed just how tough it was going to be. First, PV Sindhu (in pic) crashed out after a shock defeat at the hands of unseeded American Beiwen Zhang in the opening round of the women’s singles event. A couple of hours later, Saina Nehwal too looked to be headed the same way after losing her first game 20-22 against Hong Kong’s Ngan Yi Cheung. However, she recovered, albeit after some nervy moments in the third game, to take the match 20-22, 21-17, 24-22 in 81 minutes.
Saina, who lost to Cheung in their sole previous meeting two years ago, was on the backfoot early on in the first game, going into the mid-game break at 9-11. Her opponent soon found herself with three game points but Saina was able to save all three. Cheung, though, converted the fourth game point and took the game 22-20.
The Indian recovered her rhythm in the second game and raced to an early 11-7 lead. She found herself with four game points and though Cheung was able to save the first one, Saina took the game 21-17. The decider though went down to the wire with both shuttlers fighting tooth and nail to stay in the match. Saina held an early 14-12 lead but Cheung turned the tables on her in minutes, first inching ahead at 18-17.
The London Olympics bronze-medallist then won three straight points and had a match point at 20-19, only to squander it. Cheung then had two chances to kill off the match at 21-20 and 22-21. But Saina survived both before taking the game 24-22.
Earlier, third seed Sindhu lost 17-21, 21-16, 18-21 to Zhang in an encounter that lasted 56 minutes. After meekly losing the opening game 17-21, the 23-year-old Sindhu came back strongly in the second and did not allow the American to move ahead before finally winning it 21-16. In the decider, the American bounced back in style to first take a 12-8 lead before Sindhu hit back to make it 14-13 in her favour. Thereon, both the shuttlers went neck and neck before the match ended in Zhang’s favour with the scoreline reading a close 21-18.In the men’s singles event, Sameer Verma fought past China’s Shi Yuqi 21-17, 21-18.