The India Open, a super 750 level event, is taking place in New Delhi from 13-18/1. As an unseeded player, Thuy Linh faced a challenging draw with many highly-ranked opponents.

In her opening match, the player from Phu Tho encountered Sindhu. The 30-year-old is India's top-ranked female shuttler, world number 12, and a decorated athlete. She won silver at the Rio 2016 Olympics, bronze at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, the 2018 World Tour Finals, and the 2019 World Championships, among other major titles.

Thuy Linh came from behind to defeat Pusarla Venkata Sindhu 2-1 in the first round of the India Open badminton tournament on the afternoon of 14/1.

Thuy Linh, currently world number 23, did not win any medals at the 33rd SEA Games. Despite the significant ranking difference, their head-to-head record was balanced after four previous encounters. In 2025, Thuy Linh defeated Sindhu in both their matches, 2-1 and 2-0.

With a comfortable mindset and a deep understanding of each other's play, both players started with an even exchange of points, trading leads and staying close. Thuy Linh scored two consecutive points at the end of the first set to reach set point. However, she made an unforced error, failing to convert the opportunity. In contrast, the home player scored three straight points to win 22-20.

In the second set, Thuy Linh surged with strong play. Her flexible and varied style unsettled the home player. By limiting unforced errors, the Vietnamese shuttler quickly won 21-12, forcing a decisive third set.

In the third set, both players displayed skillful and refined play with each shot. They engaged in a thrilling point-for-point chase through the first half. A power outage and a replayed shot did not deter Thuy Linh. Instead, the 29-year-old launched tricky shots, forcing her opponent to move extensively and tire. From a 13-13 tie, the Vietnamese representative extended her lead to 16-13 and then closed out the match 21-15, after one hour and eight minutes.

The 2026 India Open offers a substantial prize pool of 950,000 USD (approximately 25 billion VND). This victory earned Thuy Linh 2,850 USD.

Born on 20/11/1997 in Phu Tho, Thuy Linh turned professional at 14 years old. Four years later, she won the 2015 National Outstanding Players Championship. Since 2018, Thuy Linh has been Vietnam's number one female player, securing seven consecutive national individual badminton championships. She has also won the Vietnam Open three consecutive times since 2022. Thuy Linh competed in both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics. She is currently ranked world number 23.

Thuy Linh's next opponent is Wang Zhiyi, the world number two.

Duc Dong