In a riveting opening-round tie at the Indonesia Masters Super 500 in Jakarta, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu stunned fans with a gritty comeback to beat Japan’s Manami Suizu 22-20, 21-18 and advance to the pre-quarterfinals. Credit for the match details: India Today (with PTI inputs).
Sindhu, seeded fifth in the women’s singles draw, looked out of sorts early, falling behind 2-11 midway through the first game as Suizu dictated play with quick net dominance and sharp rallies. But the Indian star’s experience shone through. With calm aggression and deceptive cross-court drops, she clawed her way back, even saving four game points before clinching the first set 22-20.
Reflecting on her fightback, Sindhu remarked (paraphrased), “It wasn’t easy out there, but I stayed patient and trusted my game.” Although the official quote isn’t from the source, her body language throughout mirrored a champion refusing to fold under pressure.
The second set saw Sindhu maintain momentum, leading throughout before sealing victory at 21-18. This marked her second successive win over Suizu, having also beaten her in straight games at last year’s India Open.
With this win, Sindhu will now face Denmark’s Line Højmark Kjærsfeldt in the pre-quarterfinals — a player she has a solid head-to-head advantage against (5–1).
Other Indians in Action
India’s campaign had mixed results on Wednesday:
Kidambi Srikanth battled past Koki Watanabe in a thrilling three-game match to reach the second round.
Kiran George and Akarshi Kashyap bowed out in their first-round singles matches.
India’s mixed doubles pairs also exited early.
As the tournament moves into the knockout phase, Sindhu’s resilient performance signals that she may be peaking at the right moment in the 2026 season — and could be a real contender for the title at the iconic Istora Senayan.
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