Unnati Hooda bows out of China Open after QF loss to Yamaguchi

India’s rising badminton star Unnati Hooda’s dream run ended at the China Open Super 1000 as she lost to world number 4 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in straight games in the quarterfinals here on Friday.
The 17-year-old, who scripted her biggest career win against ‘idol’ and two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, lost 16-21, 12-21 in a match that lasted 33 minutes.
With Hooda’s exit, India’s singles campaign in the tournament came to an end.
In the opening game, Hooda kept pace with Yamaguchi early on but failed to sustain the momentum, with the Japanese star reeling off five consecutive points at one stage to take it 21-16.
Hooda’s best run was taking three points in a row.
The second game followed a similar script. Despite a brief fightback where she won four straight points, Hooda fell behind as Yamaguchi strung together six consecutive points and wrapped up the second game 21-12.
Overall, Yamaguchi won 42 of the 70 points played across both games.
Hooda on Thursday stunned former world champion Sindhu 21-16, 19-21, 21-13 in the pre-quarterfinals.
India’s top men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will be in action later in the day against Malaysia’s Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo in the quarterfinals.
Chou stuns Vitidsarn, An storms into semis
Taiwanese men’s sixth seed Chou Tien-chen knocked out Thai top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn from the China Open quarter-finals with a commanding 21-17 21-11 win in Changzhou on Friday, while women’s world number one An Se-young advanced to the semifinals.
Chou outclassed Vitidsarn, the 2023 world champion and Paris Olympic silver medallist, in straight sets and will next face Chinese third seed and world number two Shi Yuqi.
Shi rallied from a set down to defeat compatriot and fifth seed Li Shifeng 15-21 21-15 21-11.
Denmark’s second seed Anders Antonsen overcame France’s Toma Junior Popov 19-21 21-12 21-8 to cruise into the semi-finals, where he will meet China’s Wang Zhengxing.
In the women’s singles, South Korean top seed An defeated Chinese fifth seed Chen Yufei 21-18 21-19.
An, 23, who won Olympic singles gold in Paris, will next face Chinese fourth seed Han Yue, who overcame Indonesian eighth seed Gregoria Mariska Tunjung 21-19 21-18 in a tightly contested encounter.
Chinese second seed Wang Zhiyi eased past Taiwan’s Chiu Pin-Chian 21-16 21-11 to secure a semi-final clash with Japanese third seed and former world champion Akane Yamaguchi, who defeated India’s Unnati Hooda in straight sets.