Kumamoto
India’s hopes at the Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500 badminton tournament ended as PV Sindhu, a double Olympic medalist, was defeated in the pre-quarterfinals on Thursday. Sindhu was India’s last remaining contender after earlier exits from singles player Lakshya Sen and the women’s doubles team of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand.
Sindhu, currently ranked 20th in the world, fought hard but ultimately lost to Canada’s Michelle Li, ranked 23rd. The match stretched over one hour and 15 minutes, with scores of 21-17, 16-21, and 17-21 in Li’s favor.
In the first game, Sindhu managed to gain a slight edge, building an 11-8 lead and staying just ahead of Li to secure the opening set at 21-17. However, Li retaliated strongly in the second game, quickly pulling ahead to an 8-3 lead. Sindhu fought back to tie at 16-16, but Li managed to take five consecutive points, leveling the match.
The third and deciding game saw both players neck-and-neck until the score hit 17-17. At this point, Li surged ahead, securing the next four points to clinch the win. The Canadian benefited from some unforced errors by Sindhu, which helped her maintain momentum toward victory.
With Sindhu’s loss, India’s journey at the tournament has come to an early end. Li will advance to the quarterfinals, where she is set to face South Korea’s Yu Jin Sim.
