Marin, Sindhu Bow Out – Fuzhou China Open: Day 1
Olympic champion Carolina Marin‘s bid for a second straight title in China came to an early end as she retired in the first round of the Fuzhou China Open 2019 today against Tai Tzu Ying.
· DEV SUKUMAR
Marin – who beat Tai in the VICTOR China Open final in September just eight months after a serious injury – complained of fever and throat infection following her retirement from the match while trailing 21-16 13-1.
World champion Pusarla V Sindhu was another high-profile casualty. The Indian lost her way at the end of a see-saw battle against Chinese Taipei’s Pai Yu Po, who claimed one of the biggest victims of her career. Pusarla did well to bounce back from 3-11 in the decider to lead 18-15, but her opponent was equal to the occasion and claimed six of the last seven points to win the match on the 74th minute.
In other close women’s singles contests, Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung held off USA’s Beiwen Zhang 22-20 19-21 21-17, while Korea’s Kim Ga Eun recovered from a first game pasting to get past Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour 5-21 21-12 21-17.