India’s journey at the China Masters, a key event leading up to the Asian Games, started off on a sour note. Unnati Hooda faced a tough defeat in the women’s singles, where she lost in straight games to South Korea’s Kim Ga Eun. Earlier, the men’s doubles team of MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan had to withdraw from their match against China’s Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi while trailing in the first game.
In another surprising turn, former World No. 1 Shi Yuqi faced his second straight first-round exit, this time against Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in the Super 750 tournament in Shenzhen. Shi had previously been eliminated in the first round of the BWF World Championships last week by India’s Ayush Shetty.
On a brighter note, World No. 1 An Se Young, fresh off her victory at the World Championships last week, made a strong start at the China Masters by defeating China’s Lin Hsiang, who is ranked No. 17, with scores of 21-11, 21-13.
### UNNATI’S STRUGGLES
Unnati Hooda, currently ranked No. 31, did not perform at her best, losing 10-21, 18-21 in just 37 minutes on Court 1. Being selected as one of the two women’s singles players for the Asian Games alongside PV Sindhu, Unnati aimed to gain some confidence in China. She had made it to the second round at the World Championships, almost defeating experienced player Michelle Li from Canada in New Delhi.
Despite being chosen over players like Tanvi Sharma and Devika Shaig for this second singles spot, Unnati’s performance at the China Masters fell short. In the first game, she struggled to establish a rhythm as Kim, ranked No. 12, quickly pulled ahead with an 11-3 lead. Unnati’s indecisiveness was clear, allowing Kim to maintain her advantage.
In the second game, Unnati attempted to take a more aggressive approach, playing from the near side of the court. This shift helped her as her shots pushed Kim back, enabling her to score more points. The young player looked more confident at the net during this game. However, after leveling the score at 15-15, Unnati lost her momentum, allowing Kim to secure the win in straight games.
### WHAT’S NEXT FOR INDIA
There’s more action for India on the second day of the tournament. Tanvi Sharma, who has recently reached a personal best ranking of World No. 13, will kick off her campaign against Denmark’s Amalie Schulz, ranked No. 40. Meanwhile, Devika Shaig, ranked No. 33, will take on Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova on Wednesday.
Additionally, India’s men’s singles players Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth will start their competitions. Lakshya is set to face Canada’s Victor Lai, while Srikanth will go up against Chi Yu Jen from Chinese Taipei.
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