Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu suffered a disappointing first-round exit from the All-England Badminton Championship 2025, falling to South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun in Birmingham on Wednesday (March 12). Despite a strong start, the World No. 16 succumbed to a 21-19, 13-21, 13-21 defeat, extending her struggles at this prestigious Super 1000 tournament.

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Sindhu started well, dominating the first game and surging to a 19-12 lead. However, Kim staged a remarkable comeback, saving seven game points before Sindhu finally closed it at 21-19. Letting out a roar of relief, Sindhu looked set to build on her momentum.

What followed, however, was a dramatic shift in control. Kim dictated the rallies in the next two games, capitalising on Sindhu’s lack of rhythm and movement. The Indian, playing with visible taping on her right knee, struggled to counter Kim’s precise cross-court placements and sharp net play.

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Kim carried her second-game momentum into the decider, racing to a 7-2 lead. Though Sindhu fought back to close the gap, Kim’s superior movement and angled returns kept her in control. The Korean secured victory in just over an hour, marking Sindhu’s fourth consecutive early exit at the All-England Open since her semifinal run in 2021.

This defeat continues Sindhu’s inconsistent run in 2025, following a quarterfinal finish at the India Open and a first-round loss at the Indonesia Masters. She had withdrawn from the Asia Mixed Team Championships due to a hamstring injury and was making her return at this event under her new Indonesian coach, Irwansyah Adi Pratama.

Mixed day for Indian shuttlers

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India had a mixed day at the tournament. Malvika Bansod stunned World No. 12 Yeo Jia Min in the first round and will now face third seed Akane Yamaguchi. Lakshya Sen, a former finalist, battled past Taiwan’s Su Li Yang to reach the second round.

Meanwhile, the Indian mixed doubles pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde displayed immense grit to secure a thrilling 21-10, 17-21, 24-22 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan. The World No. 40 pair dominated the first game, but their opponents forced a decider. In a tense third game, Kapoor and Ruthvika held their nerves to close out the match and set up a second-round clash against fifth-seeded Chinese duo Yan Zhe Feng and Ya Xin Wei.

However, H.S. Prannoy crashed out in the first round, losing to France’s Toma Junior Popov in straight games. The mixed doubles team of Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath also suffered a first-round defeat to China’s Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui (6-21, 15-21).

(With inputs from agencies)