Last Korean eliminated in badminton women's singles

The lone South Korean woman competing in badminton singles at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics got knocked out of the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Sung Ji-hyun was no match against world No. 1 Carolina Marin, who dispatched the seventh-ranked South Korean 2-0 (21-12, 21-16).

Sung dropped to 1-6 all-time against Marin.

Sung was the only South Korean alive in the quarterfinals in the women's singles.

Sung went down 6-1 to start the first game, but fought back to make it 8-6 for Marin.

The two traded points for a bit until Marin went from nursing a

10-8 lead to enjoying a 16-9 cushion.

Marin then cruised to a 21-12 game victory. She was relentless with her smashes and kept so much pressure on Sung that the South Korean barely had a chance to mount counterattacks.

Marin kept the pedal to the metal in the second game, jumping out to an 8-0 lead with a slew of her winners and Sung's unforced errors.

Trailing 15-7, Sung showed some life with four straight points.

She got it to 18-13 but ran out of gas, as Marin closed her out 21-16.

"I started playing a little better in the second game, but I am disappointed I couldn't kick it into an extra gear," Sung said. "I should've stayed closer early in the second game, but I was too nervous."

South Korea is in danger of leaving Rio without a badminton medal.

On the men's side, Son Wan-ho has reached the final eight, but the world No. 8 will face the second-ranked Chen Long of China in Wednesday's match. Son is 4-9 all-time against Chen.

In the doubles, world No. 5 Jung Kyung-eun and Shin Seung-chan are in the bronze medal contest, after losing in the semifinals earlier Tuesday. They will face world No. 2 pair from China, Tang Yuanting and Yu Yang, who beat the South Koreans in their only previous meeting in April this year.

Four other pairs -- two in men's doubles, one in women's doubles and one in mixed doubles -- all lost in the quarterfinals. (Yonhap)