Ace shuttler from India P.V Sindhu was eliminated from the Thailand Open 2022 after losing to China’s Chen Yu Fei in the women’s singles semi-finals on Saturday.
Sindhu, who defeated world No. 1 Akane Yamaguchi in the BWF Super 500 event’s quarterfinals on Friday, lost the final-four match 17-21, 16-21 at the Impact Arena. Prior to the match, the Indian had won six of the ten previous meetings with the Chinese shuttler.
The match started off tense, with both players making multiple unforced errors, but Chen Yu Fei recovered first and went on to take an 11-7 lead.
Sindhu, ranked seventh in the world, attempted a comeback after the restart, closing the gap to 17-15, but the fourth-ranked Chinese player continued to trouble the Indian at the backcourt and sealed the first game.
Sindhu raced out of the blocks in the second game, taking an 11-8 lead at the break, but Chen Yu Fei pegged the Indian back after the restart, taking a 15-12 lead of her own.
Former world champion Sindhu desperately attempted to claw her way back into the match, but the Chinese shuttler was clinical and won in 43 minutes. Chen Yu Fei will compete against either Tai Tzu Ying or Ratchanok Intanon in the final.
Sindhu’s defeat effectively ends India’s participation in the Thailand Open 2022. Saina Nehwal and H.S Prannoy were eliminated in the first round, while Kidambi Srikanth withdrew in the round of 16.
(Inputs from IANS)