Korea Open 2023: PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth face first-round exits in Super 500 tournament

By India Today Sports Desk: Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu exited the Korea Open Super 500 in the first round after a 3-game defeat to unseeded Yu Po Pai of Chinese Taipei. Sindhu lost the opening-round match at the prestigious tournament 18-21, 21-10, 13-21 to crash out of the event early in Yeosu, South Korea.

This was PV SIndhu’s only 2nd loss to the World No. 22 shuttler from Chinese Taipei in 6 meetings on the tour. Sindhu struggled to maintain consistency as she faced a dip in intensity in the final game after bouncing back to win the second game of the three-game encounter.

It was the first competitive outing for PV Sindhu after she announced her association with new coach and former All England Open champion Hafiz Hashim of Malaysia. Sindhu, who was unseeded in the Super 500 tournament, was expected to get back to her best in the Olympic qualification cycle but the first-round exit should come as a jolt.

After returning from a five-month-long injury layoff due to a stress fracture on her ankle, Sindhu has struggled to stitch a consistent run on the tour. This has resulted in her slipping five places to now occupy the 17th position in the latest BWF world rankings, marking her worst ranking in over a decade. Despite reaching the Canada Open semifinals and the Madrid Spain Masters final, her best finish this season, Sindhu has yet to secure a title in 2023.

SRIKANTH LOSES TO MOMOTA

Meanwhile, Kidambi Srikanth lost in 3 games to former World No. 1 Kento Momota, who ended a streak of series of early exits on the tour.

Srikanth and Momota went toe-to-toe in the men’s singles first-round match with the Indian taking the opening game. Srikanth had opportunities to close out the match in straight games but the Japanese star, a 2-time world champion, forced a decider and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as he took the first-round match 12-21, 24-22, 21-17.

There was good news for India as HS Prannoy and Priyanshu Rajawat moved into the men’s singles second round.

Prannoy clinched a comfortable straight-game victory over pre-qualifier Julien Carraggi 21-13, 21-17.

Priyanshu Rajawat defeated Choi Ji Hoon 21-15, 21-15 to move into the men’s singles second round in the Super 500 tournament.

However, Malavika Bansod lost in straight games to 4th seed Tai Tzu Ying.