PV Sindhu Faces Early Exit in Japan Open as Lakshya Sen Advances

In a surprising turn of events, former world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist PV Sindhu faced an early exit from the Japan Open. Competing in her first match since the Indonesia Open in June, Sindhu lost to South Korea's Sim Yu Jin in straight games, 21-15, 21-14. This marks Sindhu's first defeat to Sim in their four encounters.

The Indian shuttler's performance remained inconsistent as she came from behind in both games but failed to secure a win. Despite mounting a comeback in the first game to trail just 13-12, Sindhu couldn't sustain her momentum. A similar pattern followed in the second game as she leveled at 11-11 but eventually succumbed.

This latest loss underscores Sindhu's difficulties in 2025, with her best showing being a quarterfinal at the Indian Open. Conversely, India's Lakshya Sen and the men's doubles team showed promising form. Sen defeated China's Wang Zheng Xing, and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty triumphed over their South Korean opponents, all progressing to the Round of 16.

(With inputs from agencies.)