'Easy mistakes cost me the match' - PV Sindhu on India Open exit

Delhi: It was an hour-long battle and usually PV Sindhu comes out on top in such battles but it was a different story this time around as Gregoria Mariska Tunjung took four consecutive points in the final game to silence the partisan crowd at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Delhi on Friday.

Returning to action for the first time in 2025, Sindhu fought hard against Tunjung and looked sharp but her mistakes at the crucial juncture sin the game cost her a semi-final spot in the 2025 India Open Super 750 tournament.

Sindhu lost in three games 9-21, 21-19, 17-21.

The game started with Sindhu losing five points in the early exchanges as Tunjung looked sharp with her slices and drops across the court. While Sindhu tried to make a brief comeback, Tunjung's big lead proved crucial and she won the first game 21-9.

Sindhu started the second game on the back foot, trailing 3-9 but won six consecutive points to make it 9-9. Sindhu took the lead in the game and kept it beyond Tunjung's reach.

The third game was a rollercoaster ride with both shuttlers taking important points. 

At 17-17, it looked like anyone's game, however, Tunjung capitalised on mistakes from Sindhu to hand her the first loss of 2025.

Unforced errors cost Sindhu the match

"I think it was 17-all in the third set where maybe some of my strokes were just too parallel and into her hand," Sindhu reflected after the match. "If that 1-2% I had played a bit more back, maybe that would have been the difference.

"But it happens in the heat of the game. Overall it was anyone's match. Over there, I should have made her move a bit more. The rallies were long, and we had to fight for each point," she added.

Sindhu looked solid in the last two games but was uncomfortable against the drops and slices of Tunjung.

Talking about the same, Sindhu said, "If you saw the second and third sets, I wasn't leaving the drops or half smashes or her slices. We were prepared for it, but the first game wasn't comfortable for me, there were easy mistakes."

"It took me some time to get agile on the court. In the second game, I came back comfortably. After 17-17 in the final set, it could have been anyone's game," she explained.

Taking the positives from the tournament

Training under new coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama, Sindhu has shown glimpses of her attacking self. It was her attacking game that kept her in the match against Tujung.

Assessing Sindhu's match, coach Irwansyah said, "It was a good game, but I think Sindhu was uncomfortable when the game started and she couldn't execute the normal strategy."

"She came back in the second game but I think the luck was not there for her today. Next time, she will play better as we have started working recently with each other," the coach said.

Sindhu's focus will now be on the Indonesia Masters Super 500 tournament, starting next week. She will start the tournament against Shuo Yun Sung of Chinese Taipei, who had lost to the Indian in the first round of the India Open.

"There are lots of positives to take from this tournament," said Sindhu. "The quarterfinals are not a bad result, but for me to improve these are the matches I need to learn from."