Badminton

PV Sindhu's Singapore Open campaign came to an end on Thursday as she suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Carolina Marin in the women's singles pre-quarterfinals. The Indian shuttler, fresh from her runner-up finish at the Thailand Open, took the opening game against her Rio Olympics final nemesis, but the Spaniard bounced back to win 21-13 11-21 20-22 in a thrilling one-hour, eight-minute battle.Sindhu, facing Marin for the first time in seven months after their heated Denmark Open semifinal clash, started strongly, reeling off five successive points to take the opening game. However, the Spaniard, ranked third in the world, responded with a dominant second game, winning six points on the trot to take a 17-7 lead and eventually level the match.The decider was a tense affair, with Sindhu maintaining a narrow lead throughout. However, Marin, known for her resilience and fighting spirit, made a stunning comeback, winning the final four points to seal her 12th career win from 17th matches against the Indian.Sindhu's defeat marks the end of her Singapore Open campaign, but she will take heart from her strong performance in the opening game and her overall form in recent weeks. The Indian shuttler has been in impressive form since the start of the year, reaching the semifinals of the All England Open and the finals of the Thailand Open.Marin, meanwhile, will be confident heading into the quarterfinals, where she will face Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong. The Spaniard is a two-time Olympic medalist and a three-time world champion, and she will be looking to add to her impressive trophy cabinet in Singapore.