Indian star shuttler PV Sindhu, who has returned to the Badminton court after a lengthy injury layoff, was left out of the Malaysia Open 2023 tennis series after losing to Spain's Carolina Marin in the round of 32 in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
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The 27-year-old Sindhu lost 12-21, 21-10, 15-21 to her longtime rival from Spain. The Spanish midfielder started the match on the right foot after putting pressure on Sindhu in the first set. Marin took the first set 21-12. But the 27-year-old Indian rallied in the second set, winning it 21-10 after a controlled display. Both players put in some fast-paced action, with many seeing an improvement in Sindhu's backhands.
In the final set, Marin got off to a great start, taking the first points and putting Sindhu under pressure. The Indian opened the set putting the score 7-9. However, Marin picked up the pace, scoring some quick points and bringing the score to 18-12. Sindhu tried to get back into the match but lost the final set 21-15. The Spaniard had won the last three times against the Hyderabad-born shuttle prior to this match and now leads 10-5.
Before the Malaysian Open 2023, Sindhu had last won a gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in August. However, due to a hamstring injury, Sindhu sat out all remaining tournaments in 2022. Like Sindhu, Marin has also struggled with injuries over the past year. The Spaniard was sidelined by a knee injury that required surgery, forcing her to sit out the Tokyo Olympics. The world number 9 won the European Championship again in April last year.
In other matches in the Malaysia Open 2023, India's Prannoy HS and Stawik-Chirag duo progressed into the pre-quarters. While Malvika Bansod and Ashwini-Shikha duo lost their match. At the same time, the Satwik-Chirag duo defeated South Korean duo Choi-Kim 21-16, 21-13, while Prannoy HS defeated Lakshya Sen 22-24, 21-12, 21-18.