All England Open Badminton Championships 2021: Current world champion, PV Sindhu has advanced in the quarter final of the coveted Championship. She defeated Denmark’s Line Christophersen in straight sets. She won 21-8, 21-8 in an easy match against the Danish. The match got over in 25 minutes. She will now take on the third Japanese seed, Akane Yamaguchi in the tournament quarter-final.
Sindhu’s Round of 16 encounter was a relatively easy one for the top Indian seed. She went past Christophersen in a dominant match. If her similar form continues then Sindhu could emerge as the first Indian woman to win the Open Championship.
Watch the match highlights here:
In the other matches, HS Prannoy, Sai Praneeth and Sameer Verma lost their games only leaving Lakshya Sen of the Indian men contingent in the competition. Lakshya won his match against the Frenchmen Thomas Rouxel 21-18, 21-16 and entered his first ever quarter-final. The 19-year old will now face Netherland’s world no 36 Mark Caljouw.
India’s other big hope, Saina Nehwal had already bowed out on Wednesday after she out-stretched her thigh. PV Sindhu will now face Akane Yamaguchi in the quarter-final at 5:50 pm on 19 March 2021.
Indonesia Ban
Indonesia has backed-out from the tournament after the English authorities asked the players to isolate for 10 days after a person was found Covid-19 positive on the Indonesian players' flight. Indonesia Sports Minister Zainuddin Amali expressed his discontent on the issue. "I urge the association to take measures so that we don't get treated this way. If we stay silent - like if we think there's indications of unfairness, injustice - and we ignore it, we'll be seen as weak," the minister added.