India Open: Thuy Linh Ousts Home Favourite Sindhu
The look on the face of Thuy Linh Nguyen when she heard she was to face Pusarla V. Sindhu in the first round of the YONEX-SUNRISE India Open 2026 was that of surprise.
· Tanmoy Mookherjee
But after a 68-minute contest at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex on Wednesday, she had a more assured presence moving past her illustrious opponent 20-22 21-12 21-15. The win now her third straight triumph over the former world champion and multiple Olympic medallist for a 3-2 head-to-head lead.
“Sindhu had a good performance last week in Malaysia so when I got to know that I will be playing her this week I thought ‘oh, my God’, as she had just got to a Super 1000 semifinal,” she said. “I wasn’t thinking too much. I knew she would play a lot of attacking shots. And I would have to block.”
Her defensive game not only helped her stay in points against Pusarla, but also forced the local favourite into errors, a part critical in deciding this game. “In terms of tricky players, she has good skill and it's not about just skill, but they make you play longer rallies,” was Sindhu’s assessment.