Deepika Kumari was ousted from her second quarter-final losses by 4-6 to South Korea’s Su-hyeon.
Kumari started off well by wining in set one by 28-26.
However, her fate started to lose charm in the second set by having her positioned at 25-28.
A double 10s and a 9 in set three gave a little hope that made Kumari win the third set by 29-28 which had her in favour of 4-2 set.
But Hyeon bagged set 4 by 27-29 and landed Kumari to an equalizer of 4-4. The final decisive set number fifth crushed Kumari by 29-27 having Korea’s Su-hyeon reach the semis.
Veteran archer Deepika Kumari crumbed under pressure once again, suffering the same loss for the second time to Korea's Suhyeon Nam in the women's individual event quarterfinals to bring down curtains on India's campaign at the Paris Olympics here on Saturday.
Deepika had qualified for the quarterfinals after defeating Germany's Michelle Kroppen 6-4 earlier in the day.
Deepika had defeated the 19-year-old Nam in straight sets in the semifinal at the Shanghai World Cup in April en route winning a silver medal, but on Saturday the Indian stalwart could not repeat that performance.
The two archers were tied 4-4 after four sets but Nam was rewarded for her consistency as she claimed the fifth set to enter the semifinals.
Competing in her fourth Olympics, Deepika yet again left the big stage empty-handed. However, there was no hype around her this time, following disappointments in London, Rio and Tokyo editions. The fourth place finish by Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara in the mixed team event was India's best performance in archery in Paris.
She said, "It is disappointing. I don't know how and why I keep losing at the Olympic Games. Maybe the atmosphere gets to me. It's the weight of own expectations," Deepika said after her defeat, admitting it was her best chance to do well.
Coach Purmina Mahato explained that after taking the anchor position, the archers need to release early to stand a better chance of scoring well.
"Those were bad two shots and I feel like I have gifted her the match," caoch said.
Mahato continued, "Ideally, you should have your shot within 5-7 seconds of taking anchor position. If you hold, all kinds of thoughts start coming to your mind. She held that shot long (6 in second set) and the second time (7 in fourth set) she released it early due to pressure."
The coach said India needs a consistent supply of archers but does not think that it's time for Deepika to quit.
"She must continue. People do well, win medals in this sport, even when they age." Meanwhile, the 18-year-old Bhajan did well to stretch her Indonesian rival to a shoot-off but fluffed the first shot by managing an eight when she needed a 10 to secure her passage into the last eight.
"Certainly I was lacking in something, that's why I lost. I will work on that when I go back home," Bhajan said after her 1/8 elimination round match.
Asked if she felt the nerves going into the shoot-off, she said, "Wo toh poore match mein hi rehta hai (nervousness remains throughout)," she said with a chuckle.
"I was not thinking of shooting a 10, I was just focussed on following the process," she said.
"I have learnt a lot from this campaign," she added but could not explain what, and again let out a smile.
After disappointing results in other team events, the mixed team of Ankita Bhakat and Dhiraj Bommadevara was on Friday in line to win a bronze but finished fourth.
Coach Mahato said she had told the archers not to think about the results and just stay focussed on shooting.
"We told them, do not think about win or loss, just shoot. It's 90 percent mind game. You have to be mentally strong.
"Bhajan fought well but missed that last shot. We were actually assured that she will do well."
Deepika, who has been criticised for her below-par show in the team event, was not consistent enough as scores of six and seven in the second and fourth sets pegged her back.
The Indian 30-year-old Indian recorded 28-26 in the first set to garner two points. She then hit a 10, 6 and 9 as Nam brought things on level terms, winning the second set 28-25.
Deepika again took a lead, winning the third set 29-28 with two 10s. The Indian then sacored 10, 7, 10 to lose the fourth set 27-29.
In the decider, Deepika scored 9, 9 and 9 to lose the fifth set after the Korean produced scores of 10, 9 and 10
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