Sudirman Cup: PV Sindhu Wins Match But India Lose 1-4 To Denmark

It was a disappointing start for Indian shuttlers in the Sudirman Cup being held at the Gold Coast in Australia as they lost 1-4 to second-seeded Denmark in the mixed team championships on Monday. PV Sindhu, the Rio Games silver medallist, won the only match for India in the fourth rubber to provide some cheer in the opener. The Sudirman Cup is held every two years and is being played in Australia for the first time and historically, India's never progressed beyond the quarterfinals in the event.

Up against twice finalists Denmark, India lost the mixed doubles, men's singles and men's doubles before Sindhu won the women's singles. The last match saw India lose the women's doubles too.

Ashwini Ponnappa and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy started the proceedings and gave a tough fight to the London Olympics bronze-medallist duo of Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen in the mixed doubles match. They fought for over an hour but ultimately went down 15-21 21-16 17-21 to let Denmark go up 1-0.

World No 13 Ajay Jayaram failed to replicate his recent Malaysia Open success against Viktor Axelsen as he lost 12-21 7-21 to the Dane in just 27 minutes.

Rio Olympians Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy too failed to find their rhythm as they lost the men's doubles rubber to former Olympic silver-medallists Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen in 33 minutes. The Danish pair won 21-17 21-15 to give their team a 3-0 lead.

Sindhu's 21-18 21-6 win over Line Kjaersfeldt in a 32-minute women's singles match provided India with some cheer before the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold runners-up pair of Ashwini and N Sikki Reddy lost 21-18 15-21 21-23 to Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Pedersen in the women's doubles to hand Denmark a 4-1 win.

India will next play former champions Indonesia on Wednesday.

(With PTI inputs)