The opening round of the DAIHATSU Indonesia Masters 2026 delivered a powerful snapshot of where Indian badminton stands in early 2026 a mix of resilience, heartbreak, promise and the growing depth of the women’s singles pipeline.
While PV Sindhu once again showed why she remains India’s most reliable performer on the World Tour, the results also highlighted the fragile margins that separate victory from defeat for India’s emerging shuttlers.
At the Istora Senayan in Jakarta, India had six players in action in the Round of 32 across men’s and women’s singles. Only two made it through PV Sindhu and Anmol Kharb but the nature of the matches told a far richer story than the raw win-loss column.
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Sindhu’s 53-minute win over Manami Suizu was not just another opening-round victory. It was a reminder of the mentality that separates champions from the rest. Trailing 16–20 in the first game, Sindhu stared down four game points a position from which most players would mentally collapse. Instead, she found six straight points, flipping the game on its head to take it 22–20.
That swing did more than win a set it broke Suizu’s resistance. Sindhu rode that momentum into the second game, where she controlled the rallies and closed it out 21–18, booking her place in the Round of 16. In Super 500 events, where the field is dense with top-25 players, such escapes are priceless. They allow a player to conserve ranking momentum while gaining confidence without playing flawless badminton.
For Sindhu, who has faced scrutiny over form and consistency over the past year, this win was a strong statement. It was not about dominating it was about surviving under pressure.
Anmol Kharb’s Quiet Statement
Perhaps the most encouraging Indian result of the day came from Anmol Kharb, who continued her upward trajectory with a straight-games win over Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei, 21–16, 21–17.
Unlike Sindhu’s roller-coaster, Anmol’s 42-minute victory was about control. She absorbed pressure, forced errors, and never allowed Pai to find sustained rhythm. For a player still establishing herself on the World Tour, these are the wins that build long-term credibility. Beating mid-ranking international opponents consistently is the first step toward breaking into the elite tier. Anmol now moves into the Round of 16 with growing confidence and, more importantly, with the belief that she belongs at this level.
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If Sindhu and Anmol represented resilience, Malvika Bansod represented the cruel side of elite sport. Her 21–23, 12–21 loss to Canada’s Michelle Li was far closer than the scoreline suggests. Malvika had game points in the opening set but failed to convert. Losing that first game by the narrowest margin shifted the psychological balance of the match. Michelle Li, a seasoned campaigner, capitalised, tightening her control in the second game and closing the door.
For Malvika, this was another reminder that at the top level, it is not about how well you play for 90 percent of the match — it is about whether you finish the last 10 percent.
Tanvi Sharma’s Learning Curve
Tanvi Sharma’s three-game loss to Tomoka Miyazaki (21–18, 18–21, 16–21) was another case of promise colliding with inexperience. Tanvi took the first game confidently and was well in the contest before Miyazaki raised the tempo and forced longer rallies.
In Super 500 tournaments, young players are exposed brutally not through blowouts, but through long matches where the opponent simply makes fewer mistakes. Tanvi did not lose because she was outclassed; she lost because she was outlasted.
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Aakarshi Kashyap experienced one of the most emotionally draining defeats of the day, losing 21–8, 20–22, 17–21 to Denmark’s Julie Jakobsen. After cruising through the first game, Aakarshi had chances to close it out in straight games but could not land the decisive blows. These are the matches that shape careers. You either harden from them or fade. For Aakarshi, the level is there the finishing still needs work.
On the men’s side, Kiran George fell to Indonesia’s M Ubaidillah, 17–21, 14–21. While not an upset on paper, it underlined India’s continuing struggle in men’s singles depth beyond Lakshya and Srikanth. Kiran showed flashes, but the home player controlled key rallies.
India finished the Round of 32 with two wins and four losses, but the broader takeaway is more nuanced. Sindhu remains the pillar. Anmol is emerging. The rest are knocking but not yet breaking through. At Super 500 level, the difference between a Top-15 player and a Top-40 player is not talent it is the ability to close sets, manage pressure, and stay error-free when tired.
On this opening day in Jakarta, India saw all sides of that truth.
