Dubai Super Series Finals: Sindhu wins her opening match while Srikanth suffers defeat vs Axelsen

PV SINDHU defeated He Bingjiao 21-11, 16-21, 21-18 in her opening match while Srikanth Kidambi suffered defeat at the hands of Viktor Axelsen 13-21, 17-21 at the Dubai Super Series Finals.

A shaky start for the Indian as the Chinese grabbed two early points but Sindhu was quick to get back as after that initial struggle, she ran away with points to take the lead at the interval 11-7.

Sindhu kept calm and looked composed throughout as post the interval, her domination continued. The Indian just gave away four points to claim the opening game convincingly 21-11.

It put Bingjiao under immense pressure while Sindhu looked strong and determined to get things done quickly.

The Chinese began the second game on a good note as she took an early lead but Sindhu kept hitting back and tried to level the scores or cut down the point difference.

But with some good shots and silly errors from the Indian, Bingjiao managed to keep the lead and maintain it till the interval. She had a two point lead 11-9 and now in a way the game had opened up and a bit more interesting with both the shuttlers giving their all.

The Chinese approached the second game with a different attitude as she snatched away points from the Indian to push the match to a decider.

The final game saw tough fight from both as it was a neck-to-neck battle but Sindhu soon found her groove and some winning shots that helped her take the lead at interval 11-7.

The fight continued post interval too as both tried their best to win the game and begin their campaign at Dubai SSF on a winning note. But only one could win and Sindhu saw to it that she kept the lead till the end.

There was a moment of fear as when Sindhu was just two points away from clinching, Bingjiao was slowly trying to close the game and level the points. But it had to be Sindhu's day as she won the game and the match to kick-start her campaign on high.

Meanwhile, Kidambi Srikanth had a tough outing against Viktor Axelsen. It was a good start for the Indian but as the game progressed, the Dane got back swiftly with his smashing shots leaving the Indian with no answers.

Post the interval, Viktor ran away with points to clinch the opening game 21-13.

The second game was a similar affair as the Dane was the dominant shuttler on court. He kept the lead throughout and won the match quite comfortably 21-17.

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