NEW DELHI: Former title holder PV SindhuThe unfortunate streak continued when she left World Championship on Tuesday in Copenhagen.
The most decorated Indian participant in the history of the World Championships with five medals, Sindhu lacked her usual verve in her offensive game and was beaten in subdued fashion 14-21, 14-21.
Her rival, Nozomi Okuhara from Japan, a former 2017 gold medalist and 2019 silver medalist, featured as a familiar opponent.
This is the first time that 16th seed Sindhu has not advanced to the quarter-finals of this prestigious tournament.
Sindhu and Okuhara, best known for their marathon 110-minute final at the 2017 World Championships in Glasgow, were always going to be exciting matches, but the second-round match at the Royal Arena proved to be a lopsided contest.
The pair have been plagued by injuries in the last 12 months and missed the last edition. Sindhu entered the match at 10-8 but her game lacked attacking power.
After three years in slow conditions, both players went for high throws and curls, trying to draw errors out of the other, but it was former world number one Okuhara who came out on top with her accuracy.
After the opening match 6-6, Okuhara was able to grab three points and enter the break with a two-point lead.
The Japanese made it 16:12 after pouncing on a weak return at the net. The Indian continued to play wide and long before Okuhara made it 19-12 with an accurate cross-court return.
Another shot from Sindhu gave seven game points to Okuhar, who converted after the Indian again headed wide.
The change of sides saw a shift in momentum as Sindhu raced to a 9-0 lead after a series of unforced errors from Okuhara.
However, Okuhara slowly began to dominate the rally and collected five points in a row with several good placings before reaching 9-10.
A cross-court shot helped Sindhu earn two break points.
Okuhara began to catch her opponent on the front court and grabbed six points from 10:12 to turn the tables on the Indian.
At 13-16, Sindhu unleashed a signature cross smash to go on a tear but couldn’t control her errors and eventually gave away six match points to Okuhara, who sealed the match after the Indian again went on for long.
(With PTI inputs)
The most decorated Indian participant in the history of the World Championships with five medals, Sindhu lacked her usual verve in her offensive game and was beaten in subdued fashion 14-21, 14-21.
Her rival, Nozomi Okuhara from Japan, a former 2017 gold medalist and 2019 silver medalist, featured as a familiar opponent.
This is the first time that 16th seed Sindhu has not advanced to the quarter-finals of this prestigious tournament.
Sindhu and Okuhara, best known for their marathon 110-minute final at the 2017 World Championships in Glasgow, were always going to be exciting matches, but the second-round match at the Royal Arena proved to be a lopsided contest.
The pair have been plagued by injuries in the last 12 months and missed the last edition. Sindhu entered the match at 10-8 but her game lacked attacking power.
After three years in slow conditions, both players went for high throws and curls, trying to draw errors out of the other, but it was former world number one Okuhara who came out on top with her accuracy.
After the opening match 6-6, Okuhara was able to grab three points and enter the break with a two-point lead.
The Japanese made it 16:12 after pouncing on a weak return at the net. The Indian continued to play wide and long before Okuhara made it 19-12 with an accurate cross-court return.
Another shot from Sindhu gave seven game points to Okuhar, who converted after the Indian again headed wide.
The change of sides saw a shift in momentum as Sindhu raced to a 9-0 lead after a series of unforced errors from Okuhara.
However, Okuhara slowly began to dominate the rally and collected five points in a row with several good placings before reaching 9-10.
A cross-court shot helped Sindhu earn two break points.
Okuhara began to catch her opponent on the front court and grabbed six points from 10:12 to turn the tables on the Indian.
At 13-16, Sindhu unleashed a signature cross smash to go on a tear but couldn’t control her errors and eventually gave away six match points to Okuhara, who sealed the match after the Indian again went on for long.
(With PTI inputs)
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