Vietnam’s top female badminton player beats India number one in Indonesia

The Indonesia Masters, a Super 500 tournament, is being held in Jakarta and features many of the world’s top badminton players. The withdrawal of top seed and world number two Wang Zhiyi before the tournament caused adjustments in the women’s singles bracket. Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki moved up to second seed, facing India’s Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj instead of Nguyen Thuy Linh. As a result, Linh was matched against Sindhu, India’s top-ranked female badminton player.

Sindhu, a silver medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, bronze medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and winner of the 2018 World Tour Finals and other major titles, was the clear favorite going into the match.

The 29-year-old player began the first set strongly, showcasing her diverse and experienced playing style. She dominated early, maintaining a consistent lead of 5 to 7 points. When the score was at 20-14, Sindhu appeared to have the first set secured.

However, Linh produced a wonderful comeback. Using precise shots and powerful strikes, she scored eight consecutive points to win the set 22-20, drawing applause and amazement from the Indonesian crowd.

In the second set, Sindhu struggled with pressure and fatigue, while Linh played with confidence and composure. The Vietnamese player quickly established a commanding lead, going up 7-1, 11-3, and eventually 20-10. Sindhu managed to add two more points before Linh closed out the set 21-12.

This victory marked Linh’s first win over Sindhu after two losses in 2022 and 2023. In the second round, the 28-year-old will face Karupathevan Letshanaa, world number 59 from Malaysia.

Linh, 27, turned professional at 14. She won her first national championship in 2015 and has been Vietnam’s top female badminton player since 2018, claiming seven consecutive national titles and three Vietnam Open championships since 2022. She has also represented Vietnam at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and is currently ranked 28th in the world.