Daijiworld Media Network - Jakarta
Jakarta, Jan 24: India’s ace shuttler PV Sindhu crashed out of the Indonesia Masters 500 after suffering a straight-game defeat to top seed Chen Yu Fei in the quarter-finals on Friday, January 23. Sindhu lost 13-21, 17-21 to the Chinese star in a match marked by drama and on-court tension.
The contest witnessed heated moments midway through the second game when Sindhu, trailing 12-17, was shown a yellow card and subsequently a red card for arguing with officials and delaying play. The situation escalated to the extent that the match referee had to intervene to calm matters between Sindhu and the chair umpire. The red card was later overturned, allowing play to resume.
Following the reversal, Sindhu mounted a brief but spirited comeback, closing the gap to 17-18. However, despite the late surge, she could not sustain the momentum and eventually went down 17-21 in the second game.
Earlier, the opening game was largely one-sided as Chen Yu Fei dominated proceedings with sharp attacks, especially targeting Sindhu’s backhand. Although Sindhu attempted to counter late in the game by exploiting gaps in the forecourt, Chen had already established a decisive lead to seal the first game 21-13.
The second game began on a more even note, with Sindhu attacking aggressively and using precise cross-court shots to take an early advantage. However, the momentum shifted after Sindhu lost two line-call challenges in quick succession. With no reviews left, another close call going against her triggered visible frustration, leading to disciplinary action by the umpire.
Despite an inspired rally fuelled by emotion and intensity, Sindhu was unable to overturn the deficit, allowing Chen Yu Fei to close out the match and progress to the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, India’s campaign at the Indonesia Masters came to an end as Lakshya Sen also exited the tournament. The seventh seed lost a closely contested match to Thailand’s Panitchapon Teeraratsakul on Court 2. Lakshya went down 18-20, 20-22 to the 21-year-old Thai, who is ranked 44th in the world.
Despite Lakshya’s strong defensive play, Panitchapon’s relentless pace and attacking smashes proved decisive, ending India’s challenge at the tournament.