French Open: PV Sindhu Survives Scare; Ayush Shetty Stuns Srikanth
PV Sindhu survives a scare to reach the second round, while Ayush Shetty stuns Kidambi Srikanth at the French Open 2026 in Paris.
The French Open 2026 badminton tournament in Paris witnessed a rollercoaster of emotions for the Indian contingent on Wednesday. While two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu displayed immense mental toughness to navigate a nail-biting opening match, the men's singles category saw a shocking upset as Ayush Shetty overcame compatriot and former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth.
PV Sindhu Holds Nerve in Thriller
World No. 10 PV Sindhu secured her spot in the women's singles second round after a grueling 64-minute battle against Thailand's Supanida Katethong at the Arena Grand Paris. Sindhu claimed the first game 21-14, but the momentum shifted dramatically in the second, where Katethong dominated to win 21-8.
The deciding game provided the most drama of the match. Sindhu seemed to have the victory in her grasp, building a massive 19-8 lead. However, in a stunning turn of events, Katethong staged a fierce comeback, winning 11 straight points to level the score at 19-19.
Under immense pressure, Sindhu managed to regain her composure and halt the Thai shuttler's run, eventually closing the game 23-21. This victory brings Sindhu's head-to-head record against Katethong to six wins in 10 meetings. She is now set to face Japan's Riko Gunji, who advanced by defeating India's Unnati Hooda in a three-game match (21-18, 12-21, 21-17).
Ayush Shetty's Giant-Killing Act
In one of the biggest surprises of the tournament, Ayush Shetty registered a comeback victory over Kidambi Srikanth to enter the second round. After dropping a tight first game 19-21, Shetty fought back to win the second 21-16.
The final game was a tactical tug-of-war. Srikanth initially held a four-point advantage, but Shetty clawed back to lead 11-9 at the interval. With the score locked at 14-12, Shetty shifted into high gear, reeling off seven consecutive points to seal the match 21-12.
Shetty's road becomes tougher in the next round as he prepares to face Japan's sixth seed, Kodai Naraoka. Naraoka progressed without playing after India's Lakshya Sen withdrew from their scheduled opening-round encounter.
Mixed Fortunes for Other Indians
The day brought mixed results for other Indian athletes competing in Paris:
- Devika Sihag: Put up a valiant fight against Indonesia's fifth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani, taking the match to a deciding game before falling 21-9, 16-21, 22-20.
- Tanvi Sharma and Ashmita Chaliha: Both successfully progressed to the second round of the women's singles.
- Women's Doubles: Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda suffered a swift first-round exit, losing 21-6, 21-11 to Japan's Ririna Hiramoto and Chiharu Shida.
The tournament has already seen several high-profile Indian exits. On Tuesday, the top-seeded men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, as well as the women's doubles duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, were knocked out in their opening matches.