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PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen triumph at Hylo Open, making it a rare Indian badminton double
Both won their respective finals in straight games on a memorable Sunday in the Hylo Open in Staarbrucken, Germany.
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The air inside the 5,500-capacity Saarlandhalle in Saarbrucken crackled as the 39th edition of the $500,000 Hylo Open reached a cinematic climax.
For Indian badminton enthusiasts, the last time an Indian won this Super 500 tournament was when Lakshya Sen clinched the title, then called the SaarLorLux Open, in 2019 by defeating China’s Weng Hongyang.
On Sunday, Indian badminton history echoed through the hall once more as two of India’s finest – Sen and PV Sindhu – stepped onto the bright blue courts chasing glory, painting a masterclass of pure dominance across an evening to remember.
For Sindhu, Sunday felt like the culmination of a mission. Reaching a final for the second successive week, the second-seeded former world champion walked onto the court as a strong favourite, riding the momentum of a brilliant run that had taken her to the French Open final in Paris just a week earlier, losing to defending champion An Se Young.
Having already claimed the Japan Open crown in July, this marked Sindhu's third final of the year, and she was determined to make it count.
Standing across the net was Denmark’s eighth seed, Line Kjaersfeldt. Though ranked No.25 to Sindhu’s No. 8, and holding a lopsided 1-6 head-to-head record against the Indian, Kjaersfeldt entered the arena with high energy, brilliantly marshalled from the coach's chair by former Danish international Hans-Kristian Vittinghus. For a fleeting moment at the start, the Dane matched stroke for stroke, trying to find a foothold.
But Sindhu was simply operating on another level. Leveraging her height and reach, the two-time Olympic medallist quickly dismantled her opponent's game plan. From the baseline to the net, Sindhu absorbed everything Kjaersfeldt threw at her, effortlessly dictating the longer rallies as the Dane's intensity began to wane.
After racing to an 11-8 lead, Sindhu unleashed a breathtaking seven-point rampage from 14-12 up, sweeping up seven game points and sealing the opener 21-12 in a blistering 17 minutes.
The second game followed a similar script. Though Kjaersfeldt fought valiantly to narrow the gap to 6-7, the mounting pressure began to tell. Nervous errors crept into the Dane's game — pushing the shuttle long or crashing it into the net — while Sindhu maintained her composure to lead 11-7 at the mid-game interval.
To the delight of coach Irwansyah cheering from the sidelines, Sindhu never allowed a window of opportunity. A final net error from Kjaersfeldt sealed a comprehensive 21-12, 21-14 victory in just 38 minutes, securing Sindhu a well-earned winner's cheque of $37,500.
“It was important for me to give my 100% irrespective of who the opponent was," she said. “We've played a lot of times and for me it was important that I focus on every point. Not about the whole game, but every point mattered. I took the lead from the beginning and I didn't give her a chance.”
With her second consecutive week in a final, Sindhu admitted that the journey has been a confidence booster. "I'm happy that things are going according to plan. I'm very grateful and thankful to my whole team. Everyone had worked really hard. I know there were days when you were absolutely low, but still your team is there to pump you up.
“As you keep growing it's important to get your things better and be smarter in what you choose. But at the same time, it was important for me to just stay calm. More than anything there is still room to improve.”
Sen triumphs too
With Sindhu's title safely secured, all eyes turned to seventh-seeded Lakshya Sen as he stepped up to write the concluding chapter of India's campaign in the men’s final. Facing Indonesian fourth seed and defending champion Jonatan Christie, Sen carried the mantle of his legacy in Germany.
Though Christie held a 4-3 edge in their head-to-head record, Sen had won their last two encounters, setting the stage for a tense battle.
Christie, eager to make amends after runner-up finishes at the India Open and Indonesia Open earlier in the year, pushed hard early on. Sen, contesting his second final of the year following his All England Open runner-up finish against Lin Chun-Yi, started brightly, taking an 8-4 lead. However, Christie fought back with five straight points to edge ahead 9-8.
What followed showcased Sen’s breathtaking repertoire. Trailing 8-9, the Indian went on an extraordinary surge, pocketing 10 of the next 11 points to command a staggering 18-10 lead. Though Christie mounted a valiant counter-offensive, narrowing the gap to 17-18, Sen kept his nerve, breaking the Indonesian's momentum with three consecutive points to pocket a fiercely contested first game.
The second game was all about Sen’s relentless acceleration. Establishing an early 5-2 lead, the Indian outpaced Christie, blending lightning-fast court coverage with immaculate stroke-making.
By the time Sen surged to a 16-10 lead, the resistance had drained from his opponent. Seizing the moment, Sen rattled off five unanswered points, closing out the match with authority to claim his first title of the season. It capped off an unforgettable Sunday for Indian badminton.
