China Open: PV Sindhu defeated by Bingjiao in quarterfinals

PV Sindhu’s China Open 2018 campaign ended prematurely after the Indian badminton star lost 17-21, 21-17, 15-21 to China’s He Bingjiao in the women’s singles quarterfinals. With Saina Nehwal withdrawing the tournament, Sindhu was the only Indian left in the women’s draw and after her first two matches, much of the same was expected in the last eight match against her lower-ranked opponent. However, the eighth-seeded Chinese had other ideas and put in a superlative performance to beat Sindhu in a match lasting an hour and nine minutes.

He Bingjiao will now face Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara in the semi-finals. The seventh-seeded Japanese star had little problems in her last eight match against compatriot Sayaka Takahashi, who she beat 21-4, 21-10.

Sindhu, however, was far from her best.

In the first game, she started well and even led 8-3 at one time but He Bingjiao was at her resilient best. Despite playing catch up for most of the first game, Bingjiao won the points when it mattered most.

The game hung in the balance with both players tied at 14-all but the Chinese got some breathing space by winning three consecutive points. Sindhu won back-to-back points herself to make it 17-18 but the Chinese won three points in a row to wrap up the game.

In the second game, Sindhu led pretty much from start to finish, managing to keep a healthy gap to he Bingjiao to send the match into a decider.Thereafter in the third game she failed to keep up momentum.