Indonesian men's singles player Anthony Sinisuka Ginting had to end his journey in the first round of the 2025 BWF World Championships after being defeated by the representative of the host country, France, in a fierce three-game battle 18-21, 21-19, 23-25 at the Adidas Arena, Paris.
The match was tight from the start. Ginting admitted he had a good grasp of his opponent's playing style, but he was caught off guard in the first game after the interval, allowing Popov to seize the momentum.
"After the first game interval, Toma changed his playing style a bit, and I wasn't prepared for it, so I lost a lot of my own game," Ginting said in an official statement from the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) after the match.
Entering the second game, Ginting was better prepared to anticipate changes in his opponent's game. Despite the evenly matched match, he managed to force the match to a third game.
