Swiss Open 2021 | PV Sindhu ousted by Carolina Marin in summit clash
It was PV Sindhu's worst performance against Carolina Marin
|PV Sindhu was defeated by long-standing rival Carlina Marin in the final of the Swiss Open in straight games, last Sunday. No other Indian shuttler made it to the summit clash of their respective events, with Kidambi Srikanth eliminated by Victor Axelsen in the semi-final of the men's event.
It was at the same venue - St Jakobshalle, in Basel, that PV Sindhu claimed her maiden World Championship title in 2019, with her aiming to win the first title after a one-year hiatus owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Having sailed smoothly through to the summit clash, the Hyderabad-based shuttler set up a date with her nemesis – Carolina Marin, for the ultimate prize.
What was supposed to be a tight contest, turned out to be a one-sided affair as the Spaniard ousted the 2016 Rio Olympic silver medallist in straight sets, with scores of 21-12, 21-5 - hardly read like a count from a pinnacle clash. It was the least number of points that the Indian scored in her past 14 meetings with the current world no. 3.
Meanwhile, none of the other Indian players could make it to the summit clash of their respective events, with fourth-seeded Kidambi Srikanth outplayed by Victor Axelsen, while the men’s pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also falling prey to eventual winners – Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark.
