Indonesia Masters: PV Sindhu Shown Red Card as Lakshya Sen Crashes Out

India’s campaign at the Indonesia Masters Super 500 came to an abrupt end on Friday after both PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen were knocked out in their respective quarter-final matches in Jakarta.

Sindhu, India’s most experienced singles shuttler, suffered a straight-game defeat against top seed Chen Yu Fei, losing 13-21, 17-21 in a match that was marked by high drama and a rare disciplinary moment. Midway through the second game, Sindhu was shown a yellow card followed by a red card after an animated exchange with officials over line calls and delays in play.

The incident occurred when Sindhu was trailing 12-17 in the second game. After exhausting her review challenges, another close call went against her, prompting visible frustration. Her protest towards the line judge resulted in a yellow card, and moments later, she was handed a red card for delaying play before receiving serve. Following intervention by the match referee, the red card was overturned, allowing the contest to continue.

The episode briefly reignited Sindhu’s fight. Fuelled by emotion, she mounted a spirited comeback, closing the gap to 17-18 and putting pressure on the Chinese shuttler. However, the late surge proved unsustainable, and Chen calmly closed out the match to secure her place in the semi-finals.

Earlier, the opening game had largely been one-sided, with Chen Yu Fei dictating play using precise half-smashes to Sindhu’s backhand and later switching to powerful forehand attacks. Sindhu struggled to counter the pace and depth, allowing Chen to pull away despite a brief rally towards the end of the game.

In the second game, Sindhu showed greater intent, using cross-court drops and sharper angles to stay competitive early on. However, momentum shifted after the controversial officiating decisions, and despite her late resistance, the Indian star was unable to force a decider.

India’s disappointment was compounded by Lakshya Sen’s exit in the men’s singles quarter-finals. The seventh seed lost a tight contest to Thailand’s Panitchapon Teeraratsakul, going down 18-20, 20-22. Despite being ranked significantly higher, Lakshya struggled to handle the relentless attacking game of the 21-year-old Thai shuttler.

Playing on the adjacent court, Lakshya showcased strong defensive skills but was repeatedly pushed onto the back foot by Panitchapon’s speed and continuous smashes. The close scoreline reflected Lakshya’s resilience, but crucial points at the end of both games slipped away.

With both Sindhu and Lakshya eliminated, India’s challenge at the Indonesia Masters concluded at the quarter-final stage, raising questions ahead of upcoming international tournaments.