Sindhu bows out of China Masters after loss to An Se Young

P V Sindhu’s campaign at the China Masters Super 750 came to an end after she fell to world number one An Se Young in the women’s singles quarterfinals on Friday.

Another defeat against An

The two-time Olympic medallist went down 14-21, 13-21 in just 38 minutes against the 23-year-old Korean, who clinched gold at the Paris Olympics. The result marked Sindhu’s eighth consecutive loss against An, leaving her still searching for a maiden win in their rivalry.

Slow start costs Sindhu

Sindhu started slowly, trailing 1-6 before narrowing it to 5-9 with a neat cross-court drop. But An’s accuracy and smashes pushed her into an 11-5 lead at the interval. Sindhu closed in at 11-14, but errors at the net handed the opener to the Korean.

Korean dominance continues

The second game saw Sindhu briefly edge ahead 3-2, only for An to turn the tide once more. The Korean entered the mid-game break 11-7 up, stretched her advantage to 14-7, and sealed the contest with a powerful cross-court smash.

Earlier win in the tournament

Sindhu had earlier reached the quarterfinals with a straight-game win over Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong, but the Korean hurdle proved insurmountable once again.