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 exchanged 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.
The second game followed a different pattern. Unnati made a bright start, moving 3-0 in front, but Kim gradually turned the momentum around to lead 7-5.
The Indian then found her footing and regained the advantage at 15-14, keeping the contest finely balanced. Kim responded when it mattered most. With Unnati trailing 18-16, she fought back to level the score, only for the Korean to take the next three points and end the match.
For Unnati, the defeat comes shortly after her debut at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, where she advanced to the second round. The teenager remains one of India’s notable young prospects on the international circuit.
Kim, meanwhile, strengthened an already impressive profile. Along with her Macau Open triumph earlier this year, she was part of South Korea’s gold-medal-winning women’s team at the 2023 Asian Games.
There was also disappointment for India in the men’s doubles, where MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan were forced to retire during their opening match against China’s Chen Boyang and Liu Yi. The Indian pair withdrew while trailing 11-8 in the first game.
Several leading Indian players will begin their China Masters campaigns on Wednesday, with Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth and Tanvi Sharma scheduled to take the court. Devika Sihag will also be in action, while the top-seeded men’s doubles combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will headline the Indian challenge.
With Unnati already out, the spotlight now shifts to the remaining Indian contingent as the Super 750 event enters its opening rounds.
