Japan Open: PV Sindhu exits in first round, loses in straight games
Former world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist
PV Sindhu
suffered another early exit at the Japan Open 2025, losing to South Korea's Sim Yu Jin in the first round on Wednesday. The Indian shuttler, currently ranked 16th globally, was defeated in straight games 21-15, 21-14 by the world number 14 in what was her first match since the Indonesia Open in June.
This defeat marked Sindhu's first loss to Sim in their four encounters. The Indian player had a sluggish start, falling behind 9-3 in the opening game, though she managed to fight back to 13-12. However, Sim regained control to secure the first game.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
The second game followed a similar pattern with Sim taking an early 6-1 lead. Despite Sindhu's efforts to level the score at 7-7 and later at 11-11, she ultimately couldn't prevent her opponent from claiming victory.
The loss continues Sindhu's disappointing run in 2025, where her best performance has been reaching the quarterfinals at the Indian Open in January. She has since experienced four first-round exits and two pre-quarterfinal finishes.
Poll
How do you feel about PV Sindhu's performance at the Japan Open 2025?
Disappointed
Hopeful for future tournaments
Uncertain about her career
Proud of her achievements
In contrast, other Indian players found success at the Japan Open. Men's singles player Lakshya Sen advanced to the Round of 16 with a commanding victory over China's Wang Zheng Xing, winning 21-11, 21-18. Sen will next face Japanese home favorite Kodai Naraoka.
The men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and
Chirag Shetty
also progressed to the last 16. They defeated South Korea's Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju in straight games, securing a 21-18, 21-10 victory.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Prannoy saves five match points to progress, Lakshya Sen exits China Open
Indian shuttler H.S. Prannoy saved five match points and clawed his way back from a game down to beat Japan's Koki Watanabe in the opening round of the China Open Super 1000 badminton tournament here on Tuesday (July 22, 2025). The world No. 35 Prannoy pulled off a stunning 8-21, 21-16, 23-21 win against the 18th-ranked Watanabe. It was a tough day for Lakshya Sen, whose poor run continued as he squandered a one-game advantage to suffer a 21-14, 22-24, 11-21 loss to China's fifth seed Li Shi Feng. "This point in my career, every win matters. I'm happy to be back on tour, small breaks happened here and there. The level of playing has gone really high and winning each round is getting tough day by day," Prannoy said after the win. "The average age has become 22- 23 in the men's singles all of a sudden. Lot of fresh faces and you don't really know what their game is. So, it's tough to be a veteran out there," he added. In the opening game of his match, Prannoy, a former top-10 player and bronze medallist at the 2023 World Championships, was never in the contest as Watanabe closed it out with ease. But he bounced back in the second game, forcing a decider with sharper court coverage and better control. Prannoy trailed 2-11 in the final game before picking up five points in a row to narrow the gap. Still, he found himself staring at defeat at 15-20, with Watanabe holding five match points. But the Indian showed nerves of steel, saving five match points before taking a slender 21-20 lead and eventually sealing a memorable win. It was a disappointing outing for Anupama Upadhyay in the women's singles, as she exited in the opening round following a 23-21, 11-21, 10-21 loss to Chinese Taipei's Lin Hsiang Ti. The mixed doubles pairs of A Surya and A Pramuthesh and Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde too lost their opening round matches.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Win big, earn big: Delhi rolls out record rewards for medal winners
The Delhi government on Tuesday announced a policy to boost sports in the Capital, approving substantial cash rewards and government jobs for medal-winning athletes at the international and national levels. Under the newly approved 'Mukhyamantri Khel Protsahan Yojana' (Chief Minister Sports Promotion Scheme), athletes from Delhi who win medals at events such as the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games (CWG), and Paralympic tournaments will not only receive the highest cash prizes among Indian States but also be eligible for direct recruitment to government jobs in Grade A, B, or C categories, depending on the level of achievement. Delhi Sports Minister Ashish Sood, announcing the decision, said the policy is designed to promote sporting excellence, provide long-term career security to athletes, and retain home-grown talent in the city. 'Delhi now offers the highest financial recognition to medal winners,' Mr. Sood said, adding that the move was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Khelo India' and 'Fit India' campaigns. Mr. Sood said Olympic gold and silver medallists, along with Asian Games gold winners, will qualify for Grade A posts in the Delhi government. Those securing Olympic bronze, Asian Games silver and bronze, CWG gold and silver, and gold in Paralympic and Para Asian Games will be eligible for Grade B posts. All remaining medallists from the CWG, Para CWG, and Para Asian Games will be offered Grade C roles, he added. In addition, the policy also includes financial support for training and travel. State and national-level athletes will be eligible for training support of up to ₹5 lakh, with equal coverage for medical insurance. Elite athletes may receive up to ₹20 lakh in assistance, with ₹10 lakh in health coverage. Athletes competing in events recognised by the International Olympic Committee and its affiliates will be entitled to up to ₹2 lakh to cover travel, stay, meals, and tournament registration.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Sports minister Mandaviya to meet Usha, EC members to resolve IOA impasse
New Delhi: Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya will meet the Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha and executive committee members to discuss ways to end the long-standing governance crisis in the apex sports body, it has been learnt. Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, sports minister Mansukh Mandviya and IOA President PT Usha. (PTI) Usha and the EC members have been at loggerheads and that has severely impacted IOA's functioning. The EC has not ratified the appointment of Usha-backed CEO Raghuram Iyer. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) raised the governance issue with the Indian delegation that went to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne recently to discuss India's bid for the 2036 Olympics. Due to the governance issues, IOC has suspended its Olympic Solidarity grants to IOA. In the last few days, Mandaviya has made attempts to bring Usha and EC members to the negotiating table. He has held informal meetings with the EC members. It has been learnt that Usha too has reached out to a few EC members in her bid to break the ice. As reported by HT, the IOA truce started with Usha including treasurer Sahdev Yadav and EC member Bhupender Bajwa in a panel to set a roadmap for the delayed Boxing Federation of India (BFI) elections. Iyer, too, has spoken to some EC members. An official said his appointment is likely to be ratified now with certain renegotiations. 'A middle way is being worked out to break the deadlock,' the member said.
