India’s journey at the China Masters, an important event leading up to the Asian Games, did not get off to a good start. Unnati Hooda faced a tough match in the women’s singles, where she lost to South Korea’s Kim Ga Eun in straight sets. Earlier, in the men’s doubles, the duo of MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan withdrew from their first match against Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi of China while trailing 8-11 in the first game.
In more surprising news, former World No. 1 Shi Yuqi had another early exit, losing to Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in the first round of this Super 750 event in Shenzhen. Shi was also knocked out in the opening round of the BWF World Championships last week by India’s Ayush Shetty.
On a more positive note, World No. 1 An Se Young, who recently became the World Champion in Delhi, started her China Masters journey strongly by defeating China’s Lin Hsiang, who ranks No. 17, with a score of 21-11, 21-13 in the first round.
### UNNATI’S DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCE
Unnati, currently ranked No. 31 in women’s singles, had a challenging match, losing 10-21, 18-21 in just 37 minutes on Court 1. She had been eager to gain momentum in China, especially after reaching the second round at the World Championships, where she almost knocked out experienced Canadian player Michelle Li.
Selected for the Asian Games alongside star player PV Sindhu, Unnati had a chance to impress after being picked over competitors like Tanvi Sharma and Devika Shaig for the second singles spot. However, she struggled to keep up against the higher-ranked Kim.
In the first game, Unnati found it difficult to establish a rhythm, with Kim quickly taking an 11-3 lead. The lack of decisiveness in Unnati’s play was apparent as Kim maintained her advantage throughout the game.
Unnati seemed more aggressive in the second game, playing from the near side of the court, which helped her game. She managed to push Kim back more, leading to some successful shots. The young player gained confidence at the net, but after tying the score at 15-15, she unfortunately lost the momentum, allowing Kim to wrap up the match.
### LOOKING AHEAD TO DAY 2
On day two of the tournament, Tanvi Sharma, who recently achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 13, will take on Denmark’s Amalie Schulz, who is ranked No. 40. Meanwhile, Devika Shaig, ranked No. 33, will compete against Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova on Wednesday.
Additionally, Indian men’s singles players Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth will begin their matches. Lakshya is set to face Canada’s Victor Lai, while Srikanth will take on Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen.
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