Sindhu, Praneeth bow out of Indonesia Open

Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu made a shock first-round exit from the Indonesia Open Super 1000 event after suffering a straight-game defeat against China’s He Bing Jiao, here on Tuesday.

Seventh seed Sindhu lost 14-21 18-21 to Bing Jiao in the women’s singles.

Sindhu, a former world champion, has won two Super 300 titles — the Syed Modi International and the Swiss Open — this season. With this win, world No. 9 Bing Jiao, whom Sindhu had defeated at the Badminton Asia Championship, lead the Indian 10-8 on the head-to-head record.

The defeat at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno has affected Sindhu’s preparations for the next month’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Also bowing out was B Sai Praneeth, who lost 16-21 19-21 to Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus of Denmark in the men’s singles. The mixed doubles pair of Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto faced a similar fate, crashing out in the opening round after losing 14-21 11-21 to the Hong Kong combination of Chang Tak Ching and NG Wing Yung Hong in just 32 minutes. In the Sindhu vs Bing Jiao match, the Indian was slow off the blocks as the Chinese didn’t let her get a grip, racing to a 9-2 lead and then extending it to 11-4 at the break.

Sindhu began playing aggressively after the break and pocketed four straight points to reduce the deficit to 8-11. But the Chinese didn’t allow Sindhu to dominate the affair and easily bagged the first game.

Trailing, Sindhu was expected to come out all guns blazing in the second game but it was Bing Jiao, who took an early 5-1 lead.

Although the Chinese enjoyed a slight upper hand throughout the second game, Sindhu kept it close. But eventually, Bing Jiao sealed the match in her favor.