PV Sindhu Crashes Out Of Thailand Open After Losing To Mia Blichfeldt Of Denmark In First Round

India's PV Sindhu crashed out of the Thailand Open 2021 after she lost 21-16, 24-26, 13-21 to Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt in the first round. Sindhu had won the first game 21-16 but Blichfeldt came back strong to win the next two to take them 26-24 and 21-13. The loss comes as a shocker to the World No. 7 who began well in the match. Sindhu led the first game from the beginning before winning it 21-16. Blichfeldt came back in the second, though, and at one stage both players were tied at 11-11 and then at 14-14.

It was neck-to-neck from there on as both Sindhu and Blichfeldt raced to maintain the two-point difference. Finally, Blichfeldt clinched the game 26-24.

The third game saw Blichfeldt come into her own as she challenged Sindhu point for point before opening up a lead after the shuttlers were tied at 6-6.

Sindhu scored her next point in the third game only after Blichfeldt had led by six points but that didn't prove out to be an opening for the Indian.

Blichfeldt scored six consecutive points at one stage and maintained her lead to finally win the game 21-13 and the match with it.

Earlier, Sindhu's fellow Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal was tested positive for COVID-19 and was islolated in a hospital in Bangkok.

Saina's husband and fellow participant Parupalli Kashyap was also placed in self-quarantine.

Both Saina and Kashyap had to give walkovers to their opponents in the first round.

HS Prannoy, who had also tested positive, tested negative on re-examination.

Nehwal and Prannoy have been withdrawn from the tournament, said Badminton Association of India in an update.