Bangkok—India’s PV Sindhu cruised into the second round of the Thailand Open on Tuesday to erase the memory of her surprise first round exit a week earlier
The Rio Olympics silver medallist, was sheer class as she pummelled Thailand’s world number 12 Busanan Ongbamrungphan 21-17, 21-13 in 42 minutes in Bangkok.
“It was a good game and I’m very, very happy. This win was very important for me in this tournament because at last week’s tournament, I went out in the first round,” said sixth seed Sindhu.
“So this win today was important, because even though in the first game it was tight, I didn’t want to make it easy.”
Sindhu fell to Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt in a shock a week ago in the first of back-to-back Thailand Opens.
Top seed Tai Tzu-ying from Taiwan bounced back from her final defeat to Spain’s Carolina Marin in the first tournament on Sunday, to beat Thailand’s Supanida Katethong 21-16, 21-11.
“I think I played OK today. I am feeling a little better than last week,” said Tai.
In the men’s singles, former world number one Kidambi Srikanth polished off Thailand’s Sitthikom Thammasin 21-11, 21-11.
The Indian, now ranked 14th, was forced to pull out of last week’s tournament with a calf muscle strain.
Thailand is hosting three consecutive badminton tournaments in Bangkok culminating in the World Tour Finals from January 27.
The players have been facing off in a bio-secure bubble minus spectators, although the first tournament was overshadowed by three positive coronavirus cases.
