Indian badminton star PV Sindhu faced a disappointing early exit from the Indonesia Open 2024 BWF Super 1000 tournament after a first-round defeat to Hsu Wen-chi of Chinese Taipei in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist and currently ranked 12th in the world, succumbed to a 15-21, 21-15, 14-21 loss to the 26th-ranked Hsu Wen-chi. The match marked Hsu’s first victory against Sindhu in their three meetings to date.
Wen-chi started the match in dominant fashion, quickly amassing a 15-4 lead in the first game. Although Sindhu fought back to reduce the deficit to 17-14, she was unable to prevent her opponent from taking the first game.
The second game saw a more balanced competition, with both players tied at 13-all before Sindhu shifted into a higher gear to force a decider. In the third game, Sindhu appeared to gain an early advantage, but Wen-chi managed to overturn a three-game deficit, securing her victory in a grueling match that lasted one hour and ten minutes.
World No. 41 Aakarshi Kashyap, the second Indian in the women’s singles draw, also faced an early exit. She was defeated 21-18, 21-6 by Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon, ranked 13th globally. Kashyap fought hard in the first game but couldn’t maintain her momentum in the second.
In women’s doubles, the Indian duo of Rutaparna and Swetaparna Panda were overpowered by the Republic of Korea’s Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong, the sixth seeds, with a 21-12, 21-9 scoreline. Their early exit marked a tough day for Indian badminton at the tournament.
However, there were some bright spots for India. The pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto secured a victory against Canada’s Jackie Dent and Crystal Lai, winning 21-15, 21-15. This win allowed them to advance to the second round, where they joined the duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who had already secured their spot.
Men’s singles players Priyanshu Rajawat and Lakshya Sen, as well as the mixed doubles pair of B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy, also progressed to the second round after winning their opening matches on Tuesday.
