Sindhu, Lakshya Set Up Double Title Bid At Hylo Open
PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen stormed into the singles finals of the USD 500,000 Hylo Open Super 500 badminton tournament with straight-game victories on Saturday. Sindhu defeated fellow Indian Anmol Kharb, while Lakshya produced an impressive performance against France’s Toma Junior Popov to keep India’s hopes of a double title alive.
Sindhu Sets Up Final Against Denmark’s Kjaersfeldt
Double Olympic medallist Sindhu continued her strong run with a 21-13, 21-16 win over world No. 53 Anmol in an all-Indian women’s singles semifinal. The victory took her to a second consecutive final after finishing runner-up at the French Open last week.
Sindhu, a former world champion, said she was pleased to see two Indian players reach the semifinals and focused on her own game regardless of her opponent’s ranking.
“I’m playing her after a very long time and I think it’s good to see two Indians in the semi-finals. But I was just, you know, playing my game and giving my 100% irrespective of who the opponent is or what rank she is. And I’m happy that I’m through to the finals,” she said.
The 31-year-old will face Denmark’s eighth seed Line H酶jmark Kjaersfeldt in the final.
Anmol, 19, briefly led 4-2 in the opening game but struggled to maintain pressure as Sindhu took control with her attacking play and precise net shots. Sindhu led 11-9 at the interval before pulling away to take the game 21-13.
The second game was more competitive, with Anmol leading 15-13 at one stage. Sindhu quickly levelled the score and took control in the closing stages to seal the match in straight games.
Lakshya Stuns Popov To Reach Men’s Final
Lakshya produced one of his best performances in recent months to beat world No. 13 Popov 21-17, 21-13 in the men’s singles semifinal.
The 25-year-old from Almora showed strong defensive skills and attacking precision to overcome the Frenchman. After a closely fought opening phase, Lakshya built a five-point lead at the interval and held off Popov’s attempts to fight back before taking the first game.
He carried that momentum into the second game, opening up a 4-1 advantage. Although Popov fought back to level the score at 4-4, Lakshya responded with a series of attacking shots and went into the interval with a four-point lead.
The Indian continued to dominate after the break, moving 14-7 ahead before earning nine match points. He eventually sealed the contest with a precise smash after missing two earlier opportunities.
Lakshya, a 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, said the result had given him a much-needed confidence boost after a difficult period affected by fitness issues.
“I’ve had a few niggles here and there, and I was out for some time. At certain tournaments, I wasn’t really 100 per cent. But I’m happy with the way I’ve played here. It’s a really good confidence booster because I haven’t played this many matches in a row over the last couple of months,” he said.
He added that reaching the final was a sign that he was regaining his rhythm after the All England Championships.
Lakshya will face either Indonesia’s fourth seed Jonatan Christie or Denmark’s top seed Anders Antonsen in the final.
