10th straight defeat: PV Sindhu falls to An Se Young again, crashes out of Indonesia Open

NEW DELHI: Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu's run at the Indonesia Open ended in the pre-quarterfinals on Thursday after she lost to world No. 1 An Se Young for the second week in a row.

Sindhu, who had also gone down to the South Korean in the quarterfinals of last week's Singapore Open, lost 17-21, 14-21 in the round of 16 match.




Coming into the match on the back of a confidence-boosting opening-round win over Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan, Sindhu was hoping to finally break her duck against the Korean. However, An once again proved too consistent and composed in key moments.

The result extended Sindhu's losing streak against the reigning Olympic champion to 10 matches. The Indian shuttler is yet to beat An in their meetings.

The opening game was closely contested in the early stages, with both players level at 10-10 midway through the game. Sindhu showed signs of good form and managed to trouble the top seed on several occasions.


The Indian moved ahead 15-14 with some attacking play, but An responded quickly and won a string of points to take a 19-16 lead.

The South Korean then claimed two straight points, including a 41-shot rally, to take the first game.

An continued her control in the second game, building a 13-6 advantage with her movement and consistency around the court.

Sindhu kept fighting and reduced the gap at different stages, but An maintained control of the contest.

The world No. 1 eventually wrapped up the match in straight games to book her place in the quarterfinals.