NEW DELHI: Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu staged a remarkable comeback to defeat world number seven Han Yue of China in a thrilling three-game contest at the Denmark Open Super 750 badminton tournament in Odense on Thursday.
Despite a sluggish start, Sindhu, currently ranked 18th, clinched the match with a scoreline of 18-21, 21-12, 21-16 in a grueling 63-minute battle.
This significant victory marks Sindhu's first triumph over a top-10 player since her win against Han in the Malaysia Masters final in May. The win also improves her head-to-head record against the Chinese shuttler to 7-1 in eight encounters.
Sindhu, the sole surviving Indian in the tournament, will face either Indonesia's Gregoria Mariska Tunjung or Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt in the quarterfinals, marking only her third last-eight appearance this year.
The match began with short rallies, with the players splitting the initial eight points. However, Sindhu conceded five consecutive points, falling behind. She attempted to extend the rallies to exhaust her opponent, who had endured a lengthy opener the previous day.
Despite reducing the deficit to 9-10, Sindhu struggled with her aggressive approach and trailed 13-17. Han capitalized on Sindhu's poor shot execution, securing six game points before clinching the first game with a cross-court shot.
Sindhu entered the second game with renewed determination, taking a 3-0 lead. She unleashed a thunderous smash at 4-3, signaling her intent.
With increased pace in the rallies, Sindhu established a five-point advantage at the break, benefiting from Han's unforced errors. The Indian star asserted her dominance, reaching 15-7 with a net kill. She quickly claimed 10 game points and forced a deciding game.
In the final game, both players raised the intensity, with Sindhu adopting a more proactive approach. She led 6-3 early on, but Han fought back, pulling ahead by four points at the interval.
Sindhu responded with four consecutive points to level the score. The lead exchanged hands frequently from 14-14 to 16-16. Sindhu then moved two points clear as Han's shots went wide. She secured four match points with a backhand winner and sealed the victory when Han miscued a shot.
Despite a sluggish start, Sindhu, currently ranked 18th, clinched the match with a scoreline of 18-21, 21-12, 21-16 in a grueling 63-minute battle.
This significant victory marks Sindhu's first triumph over a top-10 player since her win against Han in the Malaysia Masters final in May. The win also improves her head-to-head record against the Chinese shuttler to 7-1 in eight encounters.
Sindhu, the sole surviving Indian in the tournament, will face either Indonesia's Gregoria Mariska Tunjung or Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt in the quarterfinals, marking only her third last-eight appearance this year.
The match began with short rallies, with the players splitting the initial eight points. However, Sindhu conceded five consecutive points, falling behind. She attempted to extend the rallies to exhaust her opponent, who had endured a lengthy opener the previous day.
Despite reducing the deficit to 9-10, Sindhu struggled with her aggressive approach and trailed 13-17. Han capitalized on Sindhu's poor shot execution, securing six game points before clinching the first game with a cross-court shot.
Sindhu entered the second game with renewed determination, taking a 3-0 lead. She unleashed a thunderous smash at 4-3, signaling her intent.
With increased pace in the rallies, Sindhu established a five-point advantage at the break, benefiting from Han's unforced errors. The Indian star asserted her dominance, reaching 15-7 with a net kill. She quickly claimed 10 game points and forced a deciding game.
In the final game, both players raised the intensity, with Sindhu adopting a more proactive approach. She led 6-3 early on, but Han fought back, pulling ahead by four points at the interval.
Sindhu responded with four consecutive points to level the score. The lead exchanged hands frequently from 14-14 to 16-16. Sindhu then moved two points clear as Han's shots went wide. She secured four match points with a backhand winner and sealed the victory when Han miscued a shot.
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