Korea Open: Sindhu fails to decode An Seyoung, campaign ends at semifinals
Suncheon (South Korea) (PTI): India's P V Sindhu suffered her fourth successive defeat to the young An Seyoung to sign off her women's singles campaign at the semifinal stage of the Korea Open Super 500 badminton tournament here on Saturday.
The third seeded Indian tried everything at her disposal but couldn't find a way to get past the world number four Korean, going down 14-21 17-21 in 48 minutes.
The 20-year-old An Seyoung gave ample display of her athleticism with her diving returns to keep the rallies alive and didn't falter in her precision, leaving Sindhu to do the catch-up job from the start.
The second seeded Korean rode on her superb retrieving skills to gallop to a 6-1 lead early on. Next she dived twice in quick succession on both flanks to blunt Sindhu's attack and sealed it with a delightful drop.
Two powerful returns took Sindhu to 4-7 but An Seyoung came up with two precise returns, a body blow and then produced another over-the-head return to gain a healthy 11-6 lead at the break.
Sindhu tried to step up the pace but An Seyoung displayed a wide array of shots to always stay a step ahead. The Indian got a few points with her smashes but she couldn't put pressure on the Korean.
An Seyoung disposed off two weak lifts from Sindhu and then grabbed eight game points, two of which were saved by the Indian before the Korean unleashed a lightening straight smash to seal it comfortably.
Sindhu was off to a good 3-0 start after the change of ends but An Seyoung soon surged ahead to 5-3.
The Indian grabbed two quick points before the match became a tight battle with Sindhu's precise forecourt return being matched by the booming smashes from the Korean.
A long shot was followed by a net winner from Sindhu to keep the scores tied at 9-9 but the Korean was relentless in her retrievals and soon moved to a two-point advantage when Sindhu shot one to the net.
Sindhu kept breathing down the neck of her opponent at 12-14, with the Korean going long and to the net.
A service error from An Seyoung kept it 14-16 before the Korean produced a cross court return and, with Sindhu also miscuing a couple of shots, it was 18-14 advantage for the local hope.
Sindhu reeled off three points on the trot to keep the match alive but An Seyoung sent one away from the backhand of the Indian, who went to net next to gift three match points to the Korean.
An Seyoung unleashed another smash to seal it and go down on her knees in joy.
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Operation Sindoor: India carries out military strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan, PoK
New Delhi (PTI): Retaliating against the Pahalgam terror attack two weeks ago, Indian armed forces on early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including in Bahawalpur, a stronghold of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The military strikes were carried out under Operation Sindoor, the defence ministry said in a statement at 1.44 am. It said the actions by the Indian armed forces were "focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature".
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the Indian missile strikes an "act of war" and said his country has every right to give a "befitting reply".
The Indian statement said, "A little while ago, the Indian Armed forces launched 'Operation Sindoor' hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed."
"No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution," it said.
Sources added that the strikes on all nine targets were successful and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was monitoring Operation Sindoor closely.
Among the nine sites targeted are the JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba's in Muridke, both in Pakistan Punjab, officials said.
India's actions come two weeks after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that triggered widespread outrage in India and abroad.
"These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered," the defence ministry statement said.
"We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable," it said.
In a post on 'X' in Hindi shortly after the strikes, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Long live Mother India!" (Bharat Mata Ki Jai)".
"Justice is Served," the Indian Army said in its post.
Pakistan Army spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said missile strikes were fired by India at Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Bahawalpur.
Some time ago, India launched air strikes in in Bahwalpur's Ahmed East area, Kotli and Muzaffarabad at three places from the air, he told ARY News channel.
"All of our air force jets are airborne. This cowardly and shameful attack was carried out from within India's airspace. They were never allowed to come and intrude into the space of Pakistan," he said.
"Let me say it unequivocally: Pakistan will respond to this at a time and place of its own choosing. This heinous provocation will not go unanswered," he added.
Sources in the Indian military establishment said all air defence units have been put on alert along the frontier with Pakistan.
Following the operation, India reached out to several leading countries, including the US, Russia, the UK, UAE and Saudi Arabia and briefed them about the military strike on the nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir, the sources said.
"Senior Indian officials have spoken to their counterparts in a number of countries to brief them on the steps taken by India," said a source.
The operation came days after Modi gave the armed forces full freedom to respond to the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass, the prime minister on April 29 gave the armed forces "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Modi also emphasised the national resolve to deal a "crushing blow to terrorism".
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju tweets, "#OperationSindoor"
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2025
(Video Source: Kiren Rijiju/X) pic.twitter.com/kdBY2xeHqN
#WATCH | Visuals from an undisclosed location in J&K as the Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.… pic.twitter.com/3D20pDXkND
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2025
