Tenth defeat in a row: PV Sindhu again loses to An Se Young and exits Indonesia Open

NEW DELHI: Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu crashed out in the pre-quarterfinals of the Indonesia Open on Thursday after losing to world number one An Se Young for the second week in a row.Sindhu, who also went down with the South Korean in last week’s Singapore Open quarter-finals, lost 17-21, 14-21 in the round of 16.Coming into the match on the back of a confidence-boosting opening round win over Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan, Sindhu was hoping to finally break her duck against the Korean. However, An again proved to be too consistent and composed at key moments.The result extended Sindh’s losing streak against the reigning Olympic champion to 10 matches. The Indian shuttler has yet to beat An in their meetings.The opening game was very even in the early stages, with both players tied at 10-10 midway through the game. Sindhu showed signs of good form and managed to trouble the top seed on several occasions.The Indian moved ahead 15-14 with some attacking play, but An quickly responded and won a series of points to take a 19-16 lead.The South Korean then rattled off two points in a row, including a 41-run run to take the first match.An continued her control in the second game, building a 13-6 advantage with her movement and consistency around the court.Sindhu continued to fight, closing the gap at various stages, but An maintained control of the match.The world number one eventually wrapped up the match in straight games to secure a place in the quarter-finals.