India's Rising Badminton Star Falls to World No. 4
Changzhou (China), Jul 25 (PTI) India's rising badminton star Unnati Hooda's dream run ended at the China Open Super 1000 as she lost to world number 4 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in straight games in the quarterfinals here on Friday. The 17-year-old, who scripted her biggest career win against 'idol' and two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, lost 16-21, 12-21 in a match that lasted 33 minutes.
End of India's Singles Campaign
With Hooda's exit, India's singles campaign in the tournament came to an end.
First Game Analysis
In the opening game, Hooda kept pace with Yamaguchi early on but failed to sustain the momentum, with the Japanese star reeling off five consecutive points at one stage to take it 21-16. Hooda's best run was taking three points in a row.
Second Game Performance
The second game followed a similar script. Despite a brief fightback where she won four straight points, Hooda fell behind as Yamaguchi strung together six consecutive points and wrapped up the second game 21-12. Overall, Yamaguchi won 42 of the 70 points played across both games.
Historic Victory Over PV Sindhu
Hooda on Thursday stunned former world champion Sindhu 21-16, 19-21, 21-13 in the pre-quarterfinals.
Looking Ahead: India's Doubles Campaign
India's top men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will be in action later in the day against Malaysia's Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo in the quarterfinals.
This report includes content sourced from Press Trust of India (PTI), edited for clarity and context.
Image Credits: the_bridge_in/ Twitter
