South korea
New Delhi: BWF World Championship 2026 Image Source: IANS
China Masters: Unnati Hooda Bows Out After Losing Opening-round Match
Shenzhen Sports Centre Gymnasium: India’s Unnati Hooda’s China Masters campaign came to an early end on Tuesday as the 18-year-old was beaten in straight games by South Korea’s world No. 12 Kim Ga-eun in the women’s singles first round at the Shenzhen Sports Centre Gymnasium.
Ranked 25th in the world, Unnati was beaten 21-10, 21-18 in 37 minutes by Kim Ga-eun in their first meeting on the BWF World Tour. Kim, who arrived in China in strong form after winning the Macau Open in June, controlled the opening exchanges and never allowed the Indian to establish a sustained rhythm.
The Korean quickly moved 4-0 ahead and built a sizeable 11-3 cushion at the interval. Unnati could not close the gap after the restart as Kim continued to dictate the rallies and wrapped up the opening game with relative ease.
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