PV Sindhu’s China Open campaign ended in heartbreak on Thursday. The Indian star fell to home favorite Chen Yufei in a gripping women’s singles round of 16 clash in Changzhou, letting a golden opportunity slip through her fingers.
PV Sindhu China Open Loss Comes Down to Missed Chances
World No. 12 Sindhu won the opening game 21-16 after rallying from an early 6-12 deficit. She leveled things at 16-16, then reeled off five of the next six points to snatch the opener. Momentum clearly favored her.
However, the story took a cruel turn in the second game. Sindhu built a commanding 20-16 lead, earning four match points along the way. Chen Yufei, though, refused to fold. She won six straight points to steal the game 22-20 and force a decider.
In the final game, Sindhu again jumped ahead early. Nevertheless, Chen Yufei composed herself down the stretch and closed out the 89-minute battle 21-18. The defeat marked Sindhu’s ninth loss in 16 career meetings against the Chinese star, who advances to the quarterfinals as a result.
Notably, the two had met just last week at the Japan Open, where Sindhu came out on top en route to the title. This time, fortune sided with Chen Yufei instead.
India’s Campaign Ends Across the Board
India’s exit didn’t stop with Sindhu. Later that day, both Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty fell in their men’s singles second-round matches, officially closing out the country’s run at the BWF Super 1000 event.
World No. 23 Shetty led 19-15 in the decider against Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen but ultimately lost 21-15, 13-21, 20-22. Meanwhile, 14th-ranked Sen led 15-9 early against Canada’s Victor Lai yet couldn’t hold on, falling 21-19, 21-11. Interestingly, the pair had also clashed at this year’s All England Open semifinals, a match Sen won in the decider.
With China Open now behind them, the Indian contingent will regroup and shift focus to the Taipei Open, a BWF Super 300 event starting July 28.
