New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) Two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu suffered a disappointing first-round exit from the All-England Badminton Championship 2025, losing to South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun in Birmingham on Wednesday. Despite a promising start, the World No. 16 fell 21-19, 13-21, 13-21, extending her struggles at this prestigious Super 1000 tournament.

Sindhu had looked in control in the opening game, surging to a 19-12 lead. However, Kim fought back to save seven game points before Sindhu eventually closed it out 21-19. Letting out a roar of relief, Sindhu seemed poised to build on the momentum. But what followed was a complete shift in control.

Kim dictated the rallies in the next two games, capitalizing on Sindhu’s lack of rhythm and movement. The Indian, playing with visible taping on her right knee, struggled to respond to Kim’s cross-court placements and decisive net play.

In the decider, Sindhu looked deflated as Kim maintained her intensity, sealing victory in just over an hour. The loss marks Sindhu’s fourth consecutive early exit at the All-England Open since her semifinal run in 2021, further highlighting her inconsistencies on this stage.

Having missed the Paris Olympics medal podium last year, Sindhu has been seeking a fresh start under her new Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama, whom she teamed up with in January 2025. She began the year with a quarterfinal run at the India Open but was sidelined with a hamstring injury in February. Her return at the All-England, however, ended in disappointment.

Elsewhere, Malvika Bansod stunned World No. 12 Yeo Jia Min in the women’s singles first round and will now face third seed Akane Yamaguchi. Meanwhile, former finalist Lakshya Sen battled past Taiwan’s Su Li Yang to reach the second round.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Indian mixed doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde showcased immense grit and determination to enter the second round. The duo battled past Chinese Taipei’s Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan in a thrilling first-round encounter at Arena Birmingham.

Ranked 40th in the world, Rohan and Ruthvika put up a spirited performance to secure a hard-fought 21-10, 17-21, 24-22 victory. The Indian pair started strong, dominating the opening game with sharp net play and precise smashes. However, their opponents fought back in the second game, forcing the contest into a decider. In an intense third game, both pairs went toe-to-toe, but the Indian duo held their nerves in the crucial moments to close out the match.

With this victory, Rohan and Ruthvika have set up a challenging second-round clash against the fifth-seeded Chinese pair, Yan Zhe Feng and Ya Xin Wei.

India had a mixed day on Tuesday, with Lakshya Sen and Malvika Bansod reaching the second round in the men’s and women’s singles, respectively. H.S. Prannoy, however, crashed out in the first round, losing to Toma Junior Popov of France in straight games.

In the mixed doubles, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran-Aadya Variyath failed to progress beyond the first round after a 21-6, 21-15 defeat against the People’s Republic of China’s Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui.

–IANS

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