New Delhi: Two-time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu bowed out of the Indonesia Open after suffering a straight-games defeat to world No. 1 An Se-young in the women’s singles pre-quarterfinals on Thursday.
Sindhu went down 17-21, 14-21 to the reigning Olympic champion, marking her second loss to the South Korean star in as many weeks. The Indian had also been defeated by An in the quarterfinals of the Singapore Open last week.
The result extended Sindhu’s winless record against An to 10 matches, with the Indian yet to register a victory over the world No. 1.
The opening game was closely contested in its early stages, with both players level at 10-10 midway through the contest. Sindhu displayed flashes of her attacking game and briefly moved ahead 15-14 through aggressive shot-making and sharp net play.
However, An quickly regained control, using her trademark consistency and exceptional court coverage to turn the game around. The South Korean won a series of crucial points, including a demanding 41-shot rally, before closing out the opener 21-17.
Carrying that momentum into the second game, An dominated proceedings from the outset and surged to a commanding 13-6 lead. Sindhu continued to battle and attempted to reduce the deficit, but the Korean maintained her intensity and rarely allowed her opponent to gain sustained momentum.
Despite moments of resistance from the Indian star, An’s precision, movement and defensive resilience proved too strong. She wrapped up the second game 21-14 to secure her place in the quarterfinals.
The defeat brings an end to Sindhu’s campaign in Jakarta and highlights the challenge posed by An, who has established herself as one of the dominant forces in women’s badminton. While Sindhu showed glimpses of her best form during the match, she was unable to consistently trouble the world No. 1, who once again demonstrated why she remains the player to beat on the international circuit.
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