PV Sindhu’s title drought continues as she bows out of Spain Masters in the quarter-finals. The former world champion fought valiantly but ultimately fell short against Thai sixth seed Supanida Katethong in a marathon three-game battle.
Sindhu, the effective top seed in the absence of local favorite Carolina Marin, had a golden opportunity to end her title drought. However, Katethong proved to be a formidable opponent, pushing the match to a nail-biting decider.
In the first game, Sindhu squandered four game points before securing the win. The second game was also closely contested, but Katethong’s consistency proved too much for the Indian.
The decider was a rollercoaster of emotions. Sindhu trailed 15-20 but staged a remarkable comeback to level the score at 20-all. However, uncharacteristic errors from Sindhu allowed Katethong to snatch the victory 24-26, 21-17, 22-20.
In a moment of frustration, Sindhu smashed her racquet on the court, earning a yellow card from the chair umpire. It was a rare display of emotion from the usually composed Indian.
Despite Sindhu’s exit, India’s mixed pair N Sikki Reddy and B Sumeeth Reddy continued their impressive run by reaching the semi-finals. They defeated Indonesian fourth seeds Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Lisa Ayu Kusumawati in three games.
However, women’s doubles third seeds Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa and men’s doubles eighth seeds Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun both suffered quarter-final defeats.
Sindhu’s next tournament will be the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, in April. She will be hoping to break her title drought and regain her winning form.
