Korea Open Super 500: PV Sindhu exits in first round

Ace shuttler PV Sindhu failed to perform as per her reputation and lost in the opening round of the Korea Open Super 500. She surrendered against an unseeded player from Chinese Taipei, Yu Po Pai, in a three-game match. Sindhu went down in the first round by 18-21, 21-10, and 13-21 in Yeosu, South Korea.

Second time Sindhu lost to World No. 22 shuttler from Chinese Taipei in six meetings on the tour. In the third game, Sindhu failed to cope with her opponent after bouncing back to win the second game.

This was Sindhu’s first tournament after she hired a new coach, former All England Open champion Hafiz Hashim of Malaysia. She was expected to perform splendidly in the Super 500 tournament, but her first round exit in the Korea Open is a jolt.

The Indian badminton star returned to the court after a five-month injury layoff. She never looked consistent in her first round match against Yu Po Pai. This loss further slipped her ranking, and now it has reached 17 in the latest BWF world rankings, which is the worst ranking for her in over a decade.

Consistency has not been seen in Sindhu’s game this year. She played good badminton, but in patches. The Indian shuttler reached the semifinals in two prestigious tournaments: the Canada Open and the Madrid Spain Masters final. However, she has not won a single title in 2023.