Copenhagen, Denmark: India’s ace shuttler PV Sindhu faced an early exit from the BWF World Badminton Championships 2023 women’s singles event after a closely contested match against Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara. The round of 32 encounters, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, witnessed Okuhara defeating Sindhu in two hard-fought games with a final score of 14-21, 14-21, culminating in a match duration of 44 minutes.
In the opening game, PV Sindhu, currently ranked 15th in the global badminton rankings, displayed her resilience by staying neck-and-neck with the 36th-ranked Nozomi Okuhara before the first interval. However, the Japanese shuttler seized control of the game post-interval, capitalising on her two-point lead to secure a significant advantage.
The second game unveiled a promising start for Sindhu as she surged to a 9-0 lead, hinting at a potential comeback. However, Okuhara staged a remarkable rally, narrowing the gap to just two points at the mid-game break. Employing a strategic blend of agile shots and powerful smashes, the Japanese player managed to level the score at 12-all before clinching victory in the match’s ultimate moments.
This encounter marked the ninth instance in which PV Sindhu has faced defeat against Nozomi Okuhara in their 18 meetings on the badminton court.
PV Sindhu, a distinguished athlete with two Olympic medals to her name and the 2019 World Champion title, was India’s sole representative in the women’s singles division of this year’s badminton world championships.
Meanwhile, in the men’s singles category, India celebrated the achievements of its athletes. Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen delivered an exceptional performance, overpowering world No. 51 Jeon Hyeok Jin of the Republic of Korea with a commanding score of 21-11, 21-12. Simultaneously, India’s highest-ranked singles player, HS Prannoy, secured his place in the round of 16 by defeating world No. 21 Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo of Indonesia with a decisive 21-9, 21-14 victory.
On the doubles front, the Indian women’s duo of Ashwini Bhat and Shikha Gautam faced an unfortunate exit in the first round. They battled hard but couldn’t overcome the challenge posed by the 33rd-ranked Dutch pair of Debora Jille and Cheryl Seinen, with the final score reading 14-21, 21-11, 14-21.
The mixed doubles pair of Venkat Prasad and Juhi Dewangan also encountered a tough outing, succumbing to the German duo of Jones Ralfy Jansen and Linda Efler. The match concluded with a score of 12-21, 11-21, in favour of the 52nd-ranked Germans.
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