India’s challenge in the singles discipline at the Indonesia Open ended as PV Sindhu and Ayush Shetty suffered losses in their pre-quarterfinal matches. Sindhu fell to world No. 1 An Se Young in the women’s singles Round of 16, while Shetty was defeated by Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong China in a hard-fought match. However, the men’s doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi Arjun secured a quarter-final spot with a tough victory.
Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, put up a strong fight against An Se Young but ultimately lost in straight games. Despite showing flashes of her attacking prowess, An’s consistency and court coverage proved too much for Sindhu. Meanwhile, Shetty started well in his match but couldn’t maintain his momentum, eventually losing in three games to Lee Cheuk Yiu.
India’s singles campaign in Jakarta came to a close with the exits of Sindhu and Shetty, following earlier defeats of Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy. However, Hariharan and Arjun provided a bright spot for India in the men’s doubles category. The duo staged a comeback after losing the first game to defeat Malaysia’s A. Tai and K. X. Kang, securing a place in the quarter-finals.
As the focus now shifts to the doubles draw, India’s hopes rest on Hariharan and Arjun as they prepare to face the former world No. 1 pair of Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani in the upcoming matches.
