Daijiworld Media Network – Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur, Jan 7: Star Indian shuttler PV Sindhu made a confident start to her 2026 season, overcoming early rustiness to defeat Chinese Taipei’s Sung Shuo Yun in straight games at the Malaysia Open Super 1000 here on Wednesday.
In a repeat of last year’s season opener against the same opponent, Sindhu showed resilience and composure to register a 21-13, 22-20 victory in a 51-minute encounter. The match marked Sindhu’s return to competitive action after a prolonged injury layoff that forced her to end her 2025 season prematurely.
Sindhu looked tentative early on and trailed 1-7 in the opening game, displaying signs of match rust. However, the two-time Olympic medallist soon found her rhythm, unleashing her trademark power game and solid defence to claw her way back into contention.
A series of powerful forehand smashes and improved court coverage saw Sindhu level the score at 9-9 before edging ahead 11-9 at the mid-game interval. From there, she dominated proceedings, stringing together 10 consecutive points to race to a 16-9 lead. She sealed the opening game with a deftly disguised backhand drive, underlining her growing confidence.
The second game saw Sung put up a stronger fight, taking an early 3-1 lead and matching Sindhu shot for shot in longer rallies. Sindhu responded with clever variations, mixing pace and placement to gain a slender advantage and lead 11-8 at the interval.
Although the Indian looked set for a comfortable finish at 14-9, Sung staged a spirited comeback to level the scores at 15-15. The turning point came in a gruelling rally, where Sindhu’s clever half-smash proved decisive, drawing a rare fist pump from the Indian ace.
There was late drama as Sung successfully reviewed a line call to make it 19-19, testing Sindhu’s nerves. However, the Indian held her composure, converting her second match point to close out the contest in straight games.
The victory will come as a major confidence boost for Sindhu as she begins her new season, showing encouraging signs of form, fitness and match sharpness early in the year.