Paris: Some matches are won with a racket, others with the heart. On Wednesday night in Paris, PV Sindhu needed both in equal measure as she survived an extraordinary 11-point meltdown to beat Thailand’s Supanida Katethong 21-14, 8-21, 23-21 in the first round of the French Open Super 750.
It was a match Sindhu had all but won. Leading 19-8 in the decider, cruising home in just over an hour, she froze. Katethong, the world No. 26, smelled blood and won 11 straight points to level at 19-19. When the score went to 20-20, the arena held its breath. Then Sindhu did what champions do: she remembered how to finish, clinching it 23-21 and booking her place in the Round of 16.
A decider that nearly slipped away
The start was all business. Sindhu took the first game 21-14 in confident fashion, her attack sharp, her movement clean. The second game was the opposite: Katethong tore through it 21-8 in no time, forcing the decider.
The third game looked routine again. Sindhu opened a 13-6 lead, then stretched it to 19-8. The match felt done. And then it wasn’t. Sindhu went passive, returning mechanically, bleeding points with no clear reason. Panic set in somewhere between 19-16 and 19-19, when Katethong’s 11th straight point drew them level and turned a routine first-rounder into a full-blown thriller.
But Sindhu has lived through worse. At 20-20, she held her nerve, found her lengths again, and closed it out 23-21 to the relief of every Indian watching.
An old headache, a familiar fight
Katethong’s left-handed angles used to be an almighty headache for Sindhu, once troubling her badly, including on home turf in Delhi. Sindhu has since figured her out, her attack breaking through the Thai’s defiance time and again. Wednesday’s match, though, was a reminder that no lead is safe against a fighter like Katethong, who refused to fold even at 19-8 down.
After the match, Sindhu admitted the win was far from pretty, saying some days you simply have to find a way to win and that she was glad to be through. There is plenty for her team to work on before the next round, especially how a commanding position almost turned into an embarrassing early exit.
What the win sets up
Sindhu now faces Japan’s Riko Gunji in the Round of 16 on Thursday. Gunji arrives in form after beating India’s Unnati Hooda in three games earlier in the day, and she will not be an easy assignment. But Sindhu is in title-hunting form this season after her September win at the Japan Open Super 750, and big-match experience will count for plenty.
It was a mixed day otherwise for India at the French Open. Youngster Unnati Hooda bowed out after taking a game off Gunji but losing the decider, and two Indian doubles pairs also exited. Sindhu’s escape, at least, kept Indian hopes alive in Paris.
FAQs
- What was the final score of PV Sindhu’s match?
Sindhu beat Thailand’s Supanida Katethong 21-14, 8-21, 23-21 in the French Open Super 750 first round in Paris. - How did Sindhu nearly lose after leading 19-8?
She went passive and conceded 11 consecutive points as Katethong levelled at 19-19, and the decider was tied 20-20 before Sindhu closed it 23-21. - Who does PV Sindhu play next at the French Open?
She faces Japan’s Riko Gunji in the Round of 16, after Gunji knocked out India’s Unnati Hooda. - Is this a main-draw Super 750 event?
Yes. The French Open is a BWF Super 750 tournament, one tier below the Super 1000s, and Sindhu entered in the Round of 32.
Sindhu’s match showed why she remains India’s most watchable shuttler. She plays tomorrow for a quarter-final spot, and if Wednesday night taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected. Stay with Informeia for live badminton coverage.
