United States: Indian badminton star PV Sindhu faced disappointment as she crashed out of the US Open 2023 women’s singles event, while fellow compatriot Lakshya Sen made it to the men’s singles semi-finals on Friday.
Sindhu’s journey at the Iowa tournament came to an end after a hard-fought battle against Gao Fang Jie from the People’s Republic of China. The match ended with a scoreline of 22-20, 21-13 in favour of Gao Fang Jie, eliminating Sindhu from the quarterfinals.
Playing at the Mid-America Centre, Sindhu, who is currently ranked 12th in the BWF world badminton rankings, struggled to keep up with Gao Fang Jie in the first game. Despite a commendable effort to level the scores at 20-all, Sindhu fell short as Gao Fang Jie won the final two points to secure the first game.
The second game started off on an evenly matched note, with the lead exchanging hands multiple times. However, Gao Fang Jie seized the momentum and won five consecutive points to establish a significant lead. Maintaining control over the proceedings, the Chinese shuttler sealed the victory in 49 minutes.
Notably, this marks Sindhu’s fourth defeat to Gao Fang Jie in their five head-to-head encounters.
In a contrasting outcome, Commonwealth Games 2022 champion Lakshya Sen dominated his quarterfinal match against S. Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian. Sen, who recently clinched the Canada Open title, swiftly secured a 7-1 lead in the opening game and continued to build on the advantage, ultimately winning the game.
Although Subramanian put up a stronger fight in the second game, it was not enough to force a decider. Sen triumphed in 38 minutes, securing a spot in the semi-finals.
Next, Sen, currently ranked 12th in the world rankings, will face China’s Li Shi Feng, the reigning All England champion and world No. 7. Interestingly, the two players met in the final of the Canada Open last week, with Sen emerging as the victor. Sen holds a 5-3 head-to-head record against Li Shi Feng, setting the stage for an exciting clash.
As the US Open 2023 progresses, Indian badminton fans continue to support Lakshya Sen’s campaign, hoping he can replicate his recent success and secure a spot in the final.
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