Japan Open: PV Sindhu knocked out in 2nd round, Kidambi Srikanth advances to quarters

Indian shuttler P V Sindhu was knocked out of the Japan Open by Gao Fangjie of China in straight sets in the pre-quarterfinals on Thursday.

Sindhu lost 18-21, 19-21 to World No 14 Fangjie in a 54-minute round of 16 match. 

The Olympic and Asian Games silver medallist got off to a shaky start trailing Gao 1-6. She, however, fought back to level the set 13-13. Sindhu then took a 2-point lead (17-15) but Gao came back to level Sindhu 17-17. The Chinese continued to dominate Sindhu to take the first set 21-18 in 24 minutes. 

In the second set, Sindhu started aggressively to take a 5-point lead over Gao. But Gao held her nerve and surged ahead 11-7 with 8-points in a row. 

Sindhu denied Gao four match points as she reduced her lead to 18-20. The 19-year-old Gao, however, forced Sindhu into an error on the net to win the set and match 21-19. 

Meanwhile, World No. 8 Kidambi Srikanth advanced to the Quarterfinal round, avenging his 2018 Asian Games second-round loss to Hong Kong’s Vincent Wong. Srikanth hammered World No. 27 Wong  21-15 and 21-14 in the round of 16 match. Srikanth will meet World No. 33 Lee Dong Keun in the Quarterfinal on Friday.