India's No. 1 PV Sindhu faces tough opening match at Malaysia Open 2026

The encounter at the Axiata Arena carried a strange sense of déjà vu. For the second consecutive year, the draw pitted Sindhu against Sung in her season opener. In 2025, they met at the India Open under very different circumstances, as Sindhu was then returning from her wedding festivities. 

Historically, the Indian superstar has held the upper hand in their head-to-head record, and this latest meeting further solidified her dominance, though the path to victory was far from smooth.

The match began with visible signs of "rustiness" for the 30-year-old Indian. Having ended her 2025 season prematurely due to a persistent injury, Sindhu struggled to find her rhythm early on, quickly falling behind 1-7. 

However, the champion's pedigree soon surfaced. Sindhu shook off the sluggish start by unleashing her trademark attacking game. After trailing 4-8 following a grueling 22-shot rally, she began to dictate the tempo. Two powerful forehand smashes leveled the score at 9-9, and a brilliant round-the-head crosscourt winner sent her into the mid-game interval leading 11-9.

Sindhu’s momentum proved unstoppable in the latter half of the first game. She rattled off ten consecutive points, showcasing a mix of raw power and a delightful backhand drive to seal the opening set 21-13. 

The second game, however, was a much tighter affair. Sung fought back with creative net play to lead 3-1, but Sindhu responded with sophisticated half-sliced drops. The score fluctuated until the very end, reaching a tense 19-19 after a successful challenge by the Taiwanese player. Despite the pressure, Sindhu held her nerve to close out the match 22-20 in 51 minutes.

While the victory is a positive step, the performance suggested that the injury layoffs of the past year have affected Sindhu’s peak consistency. She occasionally rushed her shots, indicating that her elite-level "feel" for the court is still being rebuilt.

Looking ahead, Sindhu is no stranger to success in Kuala Lumpur, having famously won the Malaysia Open title earlier in her career back in 2013. Now a veteran of the circuit, she is hungry to add more silverware before the World Championships in India later this year. 

Her next challenge will be a high-stakes clash against Japan’s world number 9, Tomoka Miyazaki, scheduled for Thursday. This match will serve as a true barometer of whether Sindhu can maintain her physical intensity against the tour’s top-ranked youngsters.