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India's star shuttler PV Sindhu's lean patch continues as she suffered another defeat in a one-sided women's singles quarterfinal match at the Australian Open in Sydney on August 4 (Friday).
The two-time Olympic medallist was knocked out by USA's Beiwen Zhang, with scores of 12-21, 17-21 in a quick 39-minute encounter.
Zhang, who hadn't competed against Sindhu since 2020, took control of the first game, leaving Sindhu battling to catch up from the beginning. Sindhu's attempts to rally back in the second game fell short, failing to secure key points and demonstrating a significant dip in her confidence. When the game was evenly poised at 16-16, Zhang, world No. 12, surged ahead to secure her spot in the Australian Open semi-finals.
In the earlier rounds of the Australian Open, Sindhu had outplayed fellow Indian competitors Ashmita Chahila and Akarshi Kashyap, advancing to the quarter-finals. However, Zhang emerged as a tough competitor, handing Sindhu her fifth defeat in their eleven matches, putting an early end to Sindhu's promising Sydney campaign.
This loss adds to existing worries regarding Sindhu's form as she prepares for the World Championships starting on August 21 in Copenhagen.
Sindhu's 2023 season performance has been conspicuously below her usual standard. She's experienced first-round departures in seven tournaments this year, including a loss to China's Zhang Yi Man at the Japan Open in July and a following first-round defeat at the Korea Open.
Faced with a series of setbacks, Sindhu terminated her coaching arrangement with South Korean coach Park Tae-Sang this year. In an attempt to revive her performance, she announced in July that ex-Malaysian badminton player Muhammad Hafiz Hashim will be her new mentor, assigned to guide her up to the Paris 2024 Olympics. This change signifies Sindhu's determination to overcome her ongoing downturn.
Meanwhile, three more Indian representatives remain in contention at the Australian Open.
Kidambi Srikanth is set to compete against upcoming talent Priyanshu Rajawat in a men's singles quarter-final match. Furthermore, 6th seed HS Prannoy will vie for a semi-final place in the men's singles against top-seeded Anthony Ginting.
Both of these highly anticipated matches are scheduled for later on Thursday in Sydney.
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