PV Sindhu Exits Arctic Open 2026 After Narrow Loss to Ratchanok Intanon

Sindhu's Quarter-Final Journey Ends

Vantaa [Finland], October 10: Indian badminton star PV Sindhu's run at the Arctic Open 2026 came to an end as she faced a tough defeat against Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon, currently ranked fifth in the world. The match, held in Vantaa, Finland, saw Sindhu lose in three games during the women's singles quarter-finals.

Seeded sixth, Sindhu battled hard but ultimately fell short with scores of 21-11, 19-21, 21-18 against the top-seeded Intanon, a former world champion. This defeat marks Sindhu's tenth loss in their 14 encounters, with Intanon winning their last six meetings.

Later that day, India's participation in the BWF Super 500 tournament concluded as Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy were also eliminated in the men's doubles quarter-finals.

Sindhu started the first game slowly, allowing Intanon to take an early 5-1 lead. Although Sindhu managed to close the gap to 11-8 at the break, Intanon dominated the latter part of the game, winning 10 out of the next 13 points.

In the second game, Sindhu showed resilience, leading at the interval and establishing a 17-14 lead. Despite Intanon's comeback with five consecutive points, Sindhu rallied to win four points in a row, forcing a decisive third game.

The final game was tightly contested, with both players tied at 17-17. Intanon then secured three consecutive points to reach match point and converted her second chance to clinch the victory.

In the men's doubles, Garaga and Krishnamurthy Roy were defeated by Denmark's Christian Faust Kjær and Rasmus Kjær with scores of 21-13, 21-14.

Looking ahead, Indian players will next compete at the Denmark Open 2026, set to begin on Tuesday.