PV Sindhu wins Hylo Open Super 500, strengthens World Tour Finals hopes
Saarbrücken (Germany): Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu clinched her second title of the season, winning the Hylo Open Super 500 tournament with a straight-games victory over world No. 25 Line Hojmark Kjærsfeldt of Denmark here on Sunday.
The former world champion, who won the Japan Open in July and finished runner-up at the French Open last week, displayed excellent control and quality in her stroke play to register a dominant 21-12, 21-14 win over eighth seed Line in the 39-minute summit clash of the USD 500,000 event.
“It was important for me to give my 100 per cent, irrespective of who the opponent was. We’ve played a lot of times, and for me, it was important that I focus on every point. It’s not just about the whole game, but every point mattered to me,” Sindhu said.
“I took the lead from the beginning, and I didn’t give her a chance,” she added.
The world No. 8 Indian thus earned 9,200 ranking points to remain on course for the season-ending World Tour Finals.
“This gives me a lot of boost and a lot of confidence. I’m happy that things are going according to plan. I’m very grateful and thankful to my whole team. Everyone has worked really hard.
“I know there were days when you’re absolutely low, but still, your team is there to pump you up. It’s been an amazing week, and I think it’s time to go back and celebrate now. It has been an amazing two weeks.”
Asked if she was back to her best, Sindhu said: “Definitely yes. Hats off to my whole team. We’ve been planning accordingly. As you keep growing, it’s important to improve your game and be smarter about what you choose.
“But I think, at the same time, it was important for me to just stay calm. There is still room to improve. Things are getting better, and I’m happy with that,” she said.
Later in the day, Lakshya Sen was set to look to make it a double delight for India as he took on Jonatan Christie in the men’s singles final.
Sindhu, seeded second, came into the final with an overwhelming 6-1 head-to-head lead over her opponent. The Dane’s only win came at the 2025 Sudirman Cup Finals.
Sindhu began confidently with a whipping cross-court winner, but a couple of errors allowed the Dane to stay level at 3-3.
Line tried to stretch the rallies, but Sindhu’s deception and sharp net play helped her open up an 8-5 lead. A deft touch at the net, a body smash and another net error from the Dane gave Sindhu a three-point advantage at the interval.
The Indian maintained her lead at 14-11 with a well-placed push from the back of the court before producing a superb backhand winner to move to 17-12.
A miscued net shot from Line put Sindhu two points away from taking the opening game. The Indian soon earned eight game points and converted the first to take the lead.
Sindhu continued to dictate play in the second game, moving ahead 4-2 after the change of ends and extending her advantage to 6-3 with a series of winners into the open spaces.
Line fought back to 6-7 but sent a shot long, handing the advantage back to the Indian. Another wide return and a winner helped Sindhu stretch her lead to 10-6.
Sindhu continued to build on her advantage, moving to 17-11 as the Dane struggled with her net play.
An attacking return gave Sindhu six championship points, and she sealed the title when Line committed another net error.