Sung Ji Hyun upsets Sindhu in Celcom Axiata Malaysia Open 2019

Speed Post News Network

Patna : World No 10 Sung Ji Hyun, 27, South Korea, upset World No 6 P V Sindhu, 23, India, in the second round of Celcom Axiata Malaysia Open 2019, an HSBC BWF World Tour Super 750 level tournament, at Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on April 4, 2019.

Hyun beat Sindhu, the 5th seed, in straight games 21-18, 21-7 in 42 minutes in the second round to advance to the quarter-finals of the tournament. Hyun won 42 rallies in the match to 25 by Sindhu. She also won 10 consecutive points to 3 by Sindhu. The two players are locked 8-8 head to head. Sung Ji Hyun had also defeated Sindhu in the first round of All England Open Badminton Championship on March 6, 2019.

But, World No 1 Tai Tzu Ying, Taiwan, World No 3 Nozomi Okuhara, Japan, World No 7 HE Bingjiao, China, and World No 8 Ratchanok Intanon, 24, Thailand, have reached the QFs of the tournament.

Tai Tzu beat World No 25, Busanan Ongbamrungphan, Thailand, 21-16, 21-14 in 37 minutes in the 2nd round on April 4, 2019, to enter the QFs. Tai Tzu won 42 rallies in the match to 30 by Busanan. She also won 8 consecutive points to 3 by Busanan.

Okuhara beat 2012 London Olympic Gold Medallist Li Xuerui, 28, China, 21-18, 21-18 in 37 minutes in the second round to advance to the QFs. Okuhara, the 2nd seed, won 42 rallies in the match to 36 by World No 19 Li. She won 4 consecutive points to 3 by Li. Okuhara leads Li 4-2 head to head.

Bingjiao beat World No 28 Kirsty Gilmour, Scotland, 21-15, 22-20 in 46 minutes to reach the QFs while Intanon beat World No 11 Beiwen Zhang, USA, in a three-game thriller 23-25, 21-14, 21-16 in 57 minutes to reach QFs. Intanon, the 2013 World Champion,  had recently won the  India Open singles title.