Badminton
Sudirman Cup: India fall to Denmark in opener
Only the women’s doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Shruti Mishra registered a win.
Shruti Mishra/Tanisha Crasto register the only win for Indian team (Credits: BWF)
India faced a crushing 1-4 defeat against Denmark in their opening Group D encounter of the Sudirman Cup on Sunday. Despite a spirited performance from Tanisha Crasto and Shruti Mishra in women's doubles, the Indians were thoroughly outplayed in the remaining matches.
Denmark grabbed the first win of the tie, winning the mixed doubles match in straight games (21-13, 21-14) against the Indian duo of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto. The Danish pair looked in complete control throughout the match, never allowing the Indians to settle into any rhythm.
World No. 3 Anders Antonsen then doubled Denmark's lead as he outclassed India's experienced HS Prannoy in straight games (21-15, 21-16) in the men's singles match. Prannoy, who has been in decent form lately, struggled to counter Antonsen's relentless attack and precise shot placement, particularly in the second set where he was forming a comeback, leading 11-10 at the interval.
The world No. 1 Danish duo of Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen then outclassed the young Indian combination of Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Rethinasabapathi in straight games (21-7, 21-4), taking an unassailable 3-0 lead over India.
Olympic medalist PV Sindhu then took to the court in an attempt to salvage some pride for the Indian contingent. In what turned out to be the most exciting match of the tie, Sindhu fought valiantly against Line Kjaersfeldt of Denmark but ultimately lost in heartbreaking fashion. Despite leading in both games, Sindhu went down 20-22, 21-23 in a nail-biting contest that lasted 52 minutes. She had game points in both games but couldn't convert them, allowing Denmark to extend their lead to 4-0.
The women's doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Shruti Mishra managed to put India on the scoreboard with a convincing win against the Danish duo of Alexandra Bøje and Natasja P. Anthonisen. The Indian pair displayed excellent coordination and tactical awareness to secure a 21-13, 21-18 victory, preventing a clean sweep by the Danes.
The withdrawal of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy clearly had a significant impact on India's performance, particularly evident in the men's doubles match where the inexperienced Indian pair struggled against world-class opposition.
India will next face Indonesia on Tuesday in a must-win encounter. The Indians must secure a victory to keep their hopes alive of progressing to the next round of the prestigious team championship.
