PV Sindhu, India’s top shuttler and two-time Olympic medalist, suffered an early exit from the prestigious All England Open Badminton Championship 2024. She was defeated by world No.1 An Se Young of South Korea in the women’s singles second round.
PV Sindhu exits All England Open very early
The match, which took place at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena, saw Sindhu put up a spirited fight in the first game, but she couldn’t maintain her momentum against the formidable South Korean player. Despite her initial resilience, Sindhu ultimately succumbed to a 19-21, 11-21 loss against Se-young.
The match lasted just 42 minutes, marking a disappointing end to Sindhu’s journey at the All England Open. This defeat comes as a significant setback for Sindhu, who had high hopes of ending India’s drought at the All England Open.
An Se Young’s dominance was evident as she secured victory in the second game. The South Korean player, who is currently ranked No.1 in the world, showcased her skills and strategy, leading to Sindhu’s early exit from the tournament.
India have had only two champions in the All England Open in the long history of the tournament. While Padukone won the crown in 1981, Pullela Gopichand was the last Indian to achieve success in 2001.
With Sindhu’s exit, India’s campaign in women’s singles ended as Akarshi Kashyap, the other contestant, suffered a first-round exit. India’s title hopes in singles now hang on the shoulders of top-ranked Lakshya Sen. He faces a tough challenge against Anders Antonsen, seeded fourth, in the round of 16.
The former finalist will take on 4th seed Anders Antonsen in the second round. HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth suffered early exits in the competition.
On the other hand, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will be in action in the men’s doubles second round and Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto in the women’s doubles second-round action later in the day.
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