Badminton Asia: Indian campaign ends as Prannoy, Sindhu suffer second round defeat

India’s campaign came to an early end at the Badminton Asia Championship as Olympics medalist PV Sindhu and Asian Games medal winner HS Prannoy lost their respective second-round matches on Thursday.

Sindhu lost to 6th seed Han Yue of China in a three-game battle with a scoreline of 18-21, 21-13, 17-21. On the other hand, HS Prannoy was defeated by World No. 19 Li Chun Yi in a disappointing straight-game defeat, losing 18-21, 11-21.

Coming into the match, Sindhu had a lead of 5-0 over Han Yue in head-to-head record. The Indian star fought valiantly, her resilience shining through as she battled her opponent in a grueling three-game encounter. Despite a sensational fightback in the second game, Sindhu’s hopes were dashed as Han Yue emerged victorious, cheered on by the fervent local crowd.

The disappointment weighed heavy on Sindhu’s shoulders, echoing the struggles she had faced in recent tournaments. From the All England Open to the Madrid Open, she had encountered setbacks, grappling with inconsistency since her return from a long injury layoff.

India’s doubles hope also vanished as Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto lost to 3rd seeds Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida 17-21, 12-21 in the women’s doubles second round. While Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty opted out of the premier continental tournament, Paris-bound shuttles Sindhu, Prannoy and Laskhya Sen were shown the door early.