PV Sindhu’s China Open campaign ended in the second round on Thursday after the Indian star squandered an early advantage and went down in a gruelling three-game contest to local favourite and world No. 4 Chen Yufei. Sindhu lost 21-16, 20-22, 18-21 in an energy-sapping match that lasted nearly one and a half hours.
It was a tough day for India in the men’s singles too, with Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty also exiting the tournament in their respective second-round matches. Sen lost in straight games to Canada’s Victor Lai (19-21, 11-21), while Shetty suffered a narrow three-game defeat to Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen (21-15, 13-21, 20-22) after letting a lead slip in the decider.
The results mattered not only because they ended India’s singles presence in the round of 16, but also because Sindhu had arrived with momentum after winning the Japan Open last week, a title that ended a lengthy drought.
Sindhu vs Chen: early surge, late heartbreak in three games
The contest between Sindhu and Chen looked set to be close from the opening game. Sindhu found herself trailing 7-13 before mounting a strong rally to level at 16-16. From there, she reeled off five consecutive points to take the first game 21-16 and seize the early advantage.
The second game swung on missed opportunities. Sindhu held four game points at 20-16 but could not close it out as Chen fought back. The Chinese star, a Tokyo Olympics gold medallist, completed the turnaround to take the game 22-20, forcing a decider and shifting the momentum.
The third game stayed tight for long stretches, with neither player able to break away decisively. The match remained level at 17-17 before Chen pulled clear late to seal the contest 21-18, completing the comeback and ending Sindhu’s run in the tournament.
After the match, Sindhu expressed frustration about the recovery time between rounds. She noted she had just 16 hours to prepare for the second-round meeting with Chen, while Chen had more than a day’s rest before the contest.
“About 16 hours for me between matches. 24 hours for my dear friend Chen tomorrow after having a full day off before facing me today,” Sindhu wrote on ‘X’, criticising the scheduling. She added: “Lovely to see recovery being given the importance it deserves. Funny how schedules have a way of taking care of recovery. I only wish they took care of everyone the same way.”
Sen and Shetty fall in men’s singles second round
In the men’s singles, Lakshya Sen’s tournament ended with a straight-games defeat to Canada’s Victor Lai. Sen lost 19-21 in the opening game and then slipped further behind in the second, which Lai took 21-11 to close out the match.
Ayush Shetty came closer to progressing but was edged out in three games by Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen. Shetty won the first game 21-15, but Nguyen responded by taking the second 21-13 to level the match. In the deciding game, Shetty led 19-15 but could not convert the advantage, eventually losing 20-22 in a tight finish.
What’s next: Chen advances to face Intanon
With the win, fourth-seeded Chen moved into the quarterfinals, where she will face seventh seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand on Friday. The schedule gives Chen one full day’s rest before that clash, a point Sindhu highlighted while discussing recovery time and match scheduling.
