Japan Open: PV Sindhu exits in first round, loses in straight games

Former world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist PV Sindhu suffered another early exit at the Japan Open 2025, losing to South Korea's Sim Yu Jin in the first round on Wednesday. The Indian shuttler, currently ranked 16th globally, was defeated in straight games 21-15, 21-14 by the world number 14 in what was her first match since the Indonesia Open in June.This defeat marked Sindhu's first loss to Sim in their four encounters. The Indian player had a sluggish start, falling behind 9-3 in the opening game, though she managed to fight back to 13-12. However, Sim regained control to secure the first game.The second game followed a similar pattern with Sim taking an early 6-1 lead. Despite Sindhu's efforts to level the score at 7-7 and later at 11-11, she ultimately couldn't prevent her opponent from claiming victory.The loss continues Sindhu's disappointing run in 2025, where her best performance has been reaching the quarterfinals at the Indian Open in January. She has since experienced four first-round exits and two pre-quarterfinal finishes.In contrast, other Indian players found success at the Japan Open. Men's singles player Lakshya Sen advanced to the Round of 16 with a commanding victory over China's Wang Zheng Xing, winning 21-11, 21-18. Sen will next face Japanese home favorite Kodai Naraoka.The men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also progressed to the last 16. They defeated South Korea's Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju in straight games, securing a 21-18, 21-10 victory.