Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu’s journey at the China Masters 2024 badminton tournament came to an end in the round of 16 after a closely contested match against Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min in Shenzhen on Thursday.
Despite a valiant effort, Sindhu lost 21-16, 17-21, 23-21, marking her first defeat against Yeo in six meetings.
The BWF Super 750 match was a nail-biter, lasting over an hour. Sindhu, ranked 19th in the world, fell behind in the first game after being tied at 15-15, as Yeo surged ahead with a strong finish.
Sindhu retaliated in the second game, breaking a 16-16 deadlock to win and force a decider. In the final game, Sindhu appeared to be in control with a 13-9 lead but faltered due to a series of judgment errors. Yeo eventually capitalized, clinching victory after Sindhu saved four match points.
This loss prolongs Sindhu’s title drought on the BWF World Tour, which stretches back to her Singapore Open triumph in July 2022. Her last finals appearance was at the Malaysia Masters in May 2023.
While Sindhu’s campaign ended, India’s other Paris 2024 Olympians, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty and Lakshya Sen, continued their strong performances to book spots in the quarter-finals.
World No. 9 men’s doubles duo Satwik and Chirag defeated Denmark’s Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard 21-19, 21-15. Competing in their first BWF event since their Paris 2024 Olympic debut, the reigning Asian Games champions now face Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen in the next round.
In men’s singles, 17th-ranked Lakshya Sen registered a convincing 21-16, 21-18 win over Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke. Sen, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Paris 2024 semi-finalist, will face either Takuma Obayashi or third-seeded Anders Antonsen of Denmark in the quarter-finals.
India’s mixed doubles pair B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy exited the tournament after handing a walkover to top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China.
In women’s singles, Anupama Upadhyaya lost 21-7, 21-14 to Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira, while Malvika Bansod suffered a 21-9, 21-9 defeat against eighth-seeded Thai shuttler Supanida Katethong.
Women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also bowed out, losing 21-16, 21-11 to China’s second-seeded Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning.
With Sindhu out of contention, Indian hopes at the China Masters now rest on Satwik-Chirag and Lakshya Sen as they continue their quest for glory.
