Two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu made a stunning comeback to defeat world number seven Han Yue of China in a thrilling three-game match at the Denmark Open Super 750 badminton tournament in Odense on Thursday.
Despite a slow start, Sindhu, currently ranked 18th, secured victory with a score of 18-21, 21-12, 21-16 in a grueling 63-minute contest. This win marks her first triumph over a top-10 player since defeating Han in the Malaysia Masters final in May, and it improves her head-to-head record against the Chinese player to 7-1 in their eight encounters.
As the last remaining Indian in the tournament, Sindhu is set to face either Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung or Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt in the quarterfinals, marking her third appearance in the last eight this year.
The match began with short rallies, as the players evenly split the first eight points. However, Sindhu quickly fell behind after conceding five consecutive points. She aimed to extend the rallies to tire her opponent, who had played a long match the day before. Although she narrowed the gap to 9-10, Sindhu struggled with her aggressive play, trailing 13-17. Han took advantage of Sindhu’s errors, securing six game points before clinching the first game with a precise cross-court shot.
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Entering the second game with renewed focus, Sindhu surged to a 3-0 lead, delivering a powerful smash at 4-3 to signal her intent. With the pace of the rallies picking up, she established a five-point lead at the interval, capitalizing on Han’s unforced errors. Sindhu asserted her dominance, extending her lead to 15-7 with a net kill, and she quickly claimed 10 game points to force a decisive game.
In the final game, both players intensified their efforts. Sindhu initially led 6-3, but Han fought back to pull ahead by four points at the interval. Sindhu responded with four consecutive points to level the score. The lead changed hands frequently from 14-14 to 16-16, until Sindhu pulled ahead by two points as Han’s shots went wide. She secured four match points with a backhand winner and sealed the victory when Han misfired on a crucial shot.
