PV Sindhu began her Indonesia Open 2026 campaign with a hard-fought straight-games victory over Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan in Jakarta. Men’s doubles pair Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun also advanced, while Lakshya Sen and several Indian doubles combinations suffered opening-round exits in the prestigious BWF Super 1000 tournament.
Former world champion PV Sindhu made an impressive start to her Indonesia Open 2026 campaign, overcoming Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan in straight games to move into the second round of the prestigious BWF Super 1000 tournament at the iconic Istora Senayan Stadium in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Recently returning to the top 10 of the BWF World Rankings for the first time since 2023, Sindhu displayed resilience and attacking intent to secure a 25-23, 21-16 victory in a contest that lasted 51 minutes. The Indian star was tested in a closely fought opening game, where both players exchanged points throughout the encounter. However, Sindhu’s aggressive approach and experience helped her edge ahead at crucial moments to claim the first game 25-23.
Carrying the momentum into the second game, the two-time Olympic medallist tightened her grip on the match with a series of powerful smashes and precise placements. She maintained control for most of the game and eventually wrapped up the contest 21-16 to book her place in the next round.
The victory marked Sindhu’s 11th consecutive win over Busanan and further strengthened her remarkable head-to-head record against the Thai shuttler to 21-1. The result also provides a confidence boost as she seeks a deep run in one of badminton’s most competitive tournaments.
A much tougher challenge could now await Sindhu in the second round. She is expected to face reigning Olympic champion and world No. 1 An Se-young of South Korea, provided the Korean star progresses from her opening-round match against Turkey’s Neslihan Arin. Sindhu has struggled against An in recent years, trailing 0-9 in their head-to-head record. The Indian ace also suffered defeat against the Korean in the quarterfinals of the Singapore Open last week.
India had another reason to celebrate as the men’s doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun advanced to the second round with an impressive performance. The Indian duo defeated Malaysia’s experienced combination of 2016 Olympic silver medallist Tan Wee Kiong and his partner Nur Mohd Azriyn in straight games.
Hariharan and Arjun showcased excellent coordination and attacking play to secure a convincing 21-18, 21-10 victory in just 33 minutes. Their dominant display underlined their growing confidence on the international circuit and provided a positive result for India in the doubles category.
However, it was not an entirely successful day for the Indian contingent. In men’s singles, Lakshya Sen suffered a disappointing first-round exit after losing 21-19, 21-16 to Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan. The home favourite entered the tournament with momentum after defeating world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi at the Singapore Open last week and carried that form into his victory over the Indian shuttler.
India’s doubles teams also faced difficulties. Women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, competing together for the first time in more than two months, were defeated 14-21, 12-21 by Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspitasari. In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto were outclassed 11-21, 10-21 by the sixth-seeded Chinese pair of Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui.
| Also Read: India to face England in third and final T20 International at… |
Despite the mixed results, Sindhu’s victory and the progress of Hariharan and Arjun ensured India maintained a strong presence in the tournament. All eyes will now be on Sindhu as she prepares for a potentially blockbuster clash against world No. 1 An Se-young in the next round of the Indonesia Open 2026.
