Badminton: Sindhu books QF showdown, Tanvi bows out of Arctic Open
Vantaa (Finland), Oct 8 (IANS) Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will face a familiar but formidable opponent in the Arctic Open quarterfinals after the sixth-seeded Indian progressed with a straight-game victory over Japan’s Riko Gunji in Vantaa, Finland, on Thursday.
Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, overcame Gunji 21-15, 21-15 in 49 minutes to set up a last-eight meeting with top seed and former world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand.
The quarterfinal will revive one of the more established rivalries on the women’s circuit, although the two players have not faced each other since 2022. Intanon holds a 9-4 advantage in their head-to-head record and has won their last five encounters.
Their most recent meeting came at the Indonesia Masters in 2022, where the Thai prevailed in straight games.
Sindhu will take confidence from a strong 2026 campaign that has already produced a Japan Open Super 750 title. She defeated reigning World Champion Akane Yamaguchi in the final in July to claim one of the biggest titles of her recent career.
Intanon has also enjoyed success this season, winning the Malaysia Masters Super 500 in May after defeating China’s Chen Yufei in the final. The Thai secured her place in the quarter-finals by ending Tanvi Sharma’s run with a 21-18, 21-7 victory.
Tanvi stayed with the top seed for much of the opening game, even drawing level at 17-17, but Intanon showed her experience in the closing exchanges to take the first game. The second was far more one-sided, with the Thai racing to a 9-2 lead after a seven-point burst before closing out the contest comfortably.
Sindhu, meanwhile, had to negotiate two competitive games against Gunji but produced her best badminton when the pressure increased.
The first game was locked at 15-15 before Sindhu reeled off six points in a row. Gunji again stayed within touching distance in the second, levelling at 13-13, but Sindhu responded by taking eight of the next 10 points to seal her place in the last eight.
India’s men’s singles campaign ended with Tharun Mannepalli’s 21-14, 21-19 defeat to second seed Christo Popov of France.
Tharun, who had entered the main draw through qualifying and defeated Denmark’s Magnus Johannesen in the opening round, fought for 50 minutes before bowing out.
His exit followed first-round defeats for Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy and Rounak Chouhan, leaving India without a men’s singles representative in the Super 500 tournament.
India’s men’s doubles hopes, however, remained alive, with Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy scheduled to take on England’s Oliver Butler and Samuel Jones in the round of 16 later on Thursday.
–IANS
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