Japan Masters 2024: Sindhu exits after second-round defeat to Michelle Li

Double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu lost to Canada’s Michelle Li in the second round of the Kumamoto Masters Japan Super 500 tournament on Thursday.

World number 20 Sindhu was defeated by her Canadian opponent 21-17, 16-21, 17-21 in a match that lasted one hour and 15 minutes.

Li, ranked 23rd in the world, had previously defeated Sindhu only twice, while the Indian shuttler had won 10 of their prior encounters.

With Sindhu’s defeat, India’s campaign in the tournament has come to an end.

Earlier, Lakshya Sen lost after squandering a one-game lead, falling 22-20, 17-21, 16-21 to Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao in their men’s singles round of 32 match. Meanwhile, the women’s doubles duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also suffered a first-round exit.