Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Unnati Hooda Falls to Kim Ga-eun at China Masters
Unnati Hooda played Kim Ga-eun at a badminton tournament in Shenzhen.
Kim is ranked 12th in the world, while Hooda is ranked 25th.
Hooda started slowly and fell behind early in the first game.
Kim won that game 21-10.
Hooda played more aggressively in the second game and briefly took the lead.
The score later reached 18-18.
Kim stayed calm and won the second game 21-18.
This meant Hooda was eliminated in the first round.
Unnati Hooda lost 21-10, 21-18 to South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun in the China Masters first round.
The defeat ended the Indian world No. 25’s challenge at the Super 750 tournament in Shenzhen.
Hooda fell behind 0-4 at the start and struggled throughout the opening game.
She recovered in the second game, leading 15-14 and later reaching 18-18 through aggressive play.
Kim, ranked world No. 12, responded with a steady game to close out the match.
- Who
- India’s Unnati Hooda and South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun.
- What
- Kim Ga-eun defeated Unnati Hooda 21-10, 21-18 in the China Masters first round.
- When
- The report does not specify the match date.
- Where
- Shenzhen, China.
- Why
- Hooda’s slow start hurt her, while Kim’s steady and deceptive play prevented a comeback.
- Tournament
- Super 750 China Masters
- Round
- Round 1
- Result
- Kim Ga-eun defeated Unnati Hooda in two games
- Score
- 21-10, 21-18
- Hooda’s ranking
- World No. 25
- Kim’s ranking
- World No. 12
- Additional headline reference
- The supplied headline also mentions Hari-Arjun retiring, but the article provides no details about that development.