Double Badminton Glory for India: PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen Win HYLO Open 2026 Titles
— Two finals, two straight-game wins, and a first for Indian women's singles in Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken: India walked away from the HYLO Open 2026 with both singles trophies. PV Sindhu won the women's singles title and Lakshya Sen took the men's crown at the BWF World Tour Super 500 event in Germany — a double that Indian badminton has not managed often on tour.
Neither final went to a decider. Both Indians won in straight games, and both did it by controlling the match rather than surviving it.
PV Sindhu: 21–12, 21–14 in 39 Minutes
Sindhu beat Denmark's Line Højmark Kjærsfeldt 21–12, 21–14 in a final that lasted just 39 minutes. The scoreline reflects the nature of the performance: attacking shots that landed, placement that kept the Danish shuttler moving, and defence solid enough that rallies never tilted away from her.
The win is her second title of the season, and it carries a piece of history — she becomes the first Indian woman to win the women's singles title at the HYLO Open.
Lakshya Sen Ends a Year-Long Wait
Lakshya Sen's final was against the defending champion, Indonesia's Jonatan Christie — and he won it 21–17, 21–10. The second game tells the story better than the first: once Sen had the lead, he did not let Christie back into the match.
Quick movement and aggressive rallies kept the Indonesian under pressure throughout, denying him the control he usually builds points around. For Sen, the result is his first BWF World Tour title of 2026 and his second HYLO Open men's singles crown — and it closes a year-long gap since his last major World Tour win.
Why the Double Matters
- Sindhu: Second title of the season, and a first for an Indian woman at this event.
- Sen: First World Tour title of 2026, second HYLO Open title overall.
- The event: BWF World Tour Super 500 — a level where finals are usually decided by fine margins.
- The pattern: Both titles won in straight games, without a single decider across two finals.
For Indian badminton, the significance is less about one good week and more about timing. Two experienced international campaigners delivering on the same day, at the same tournament, is the kind of result that settles nerves before a busy calendar.
The Cricket, Meanwhile, Ended Differently
The same weekend brought a mixed result from Hamilton. New Zealand beat India by seven wickets in the fifth and final T20I at Seddon Park on November 1 — but India had already sealed the series by winning the first three matches, and took the trophy 3–2.
Batting first, India made 191/8. Ishan Kishan scored 61 and captain Shreyas Iyer 50, their 93-run stand repairing the innings after two early wickets. New Zealand's bowlers, however, kept the final overs quiet, and 191 proved short of par on that ground.
Tim Seifert's 93 Seals the Chase
New Zealand reached 195/3 in 18 overs, finishing with two to spare. Tim Seifert led the chase with 93 off 50 balls, hitting 11 boundaries and five sixes, while Glenn Phillips stayed unbeaten on 65 from 38. The Seifert–Phillips partnership removed any late doubt.
Phillips also finished the series with 341 runs — a new record for the most runs in a bilateral five-match T20I series.
What Comes Next
Both cricket sides now shift to the five-match ODI series, beginning November 4 in Auckland. India will want a more complete bowling performance than the one that allowed New Zealand to chase 192 with two overs in hand.
For Sindhu and Sen, the HYLO Open titles are a platform rather than a conclusion — both will carry momentum into the next stretch of the international badminton calendar.