NEW DELHI: PV SindhuThe impressive comeback continued at the China Open on Wednesday as the two-time Olympic medalist battled Indian teenager Unnati Hooda to book her place in the second round, while Ayush Shetty stole the show with a stunning upset of world No. 11 Alwi Farhan.Days after ending a two-year drought with a win at the Japan Open, Sindhu showed grit and poise to overcome 18-year-old Unnati 21-14, 9-21, 21-10 in the women’s 56-minute opener at the BWF Super 1000 event.The win extends Sindhu’s streak as the former world champion continues to find her best pre-season form.
Sindhu survives Unnati’s mental ordeal
The opening game was fiercely contested, with Unnati matching Sindhu point to 7-7. The experienced Indian then shifted gears, knocking down five points in a row to take the lead for good before finishing the match 21-14.The second game, however, belonged to the youngster.With the scores tied at 2-2, Unnati raced to a 6-3 lead and strung together six straight points to open up a huge 12-4 advantage. Sindhu struggled to find her rhythm as the youngster continued to dominate, cruising to a 21-9 victory to force a decider.The final match showed Sindhu’s experience. After a competitive start, the 30-year-old gradually took control, extending his lead from 6-3 to 10-5 and then 15-8 before sealing a convincing 21-10 victory.Sindhu now faces a second blockbuster clash against fourth seed and home favorite Chen Yufei, who defeated her in straight games at the Japan Open last week. Chen, however, still holds an 8-7 head-to-head edge over the Indian star.
Ayush Shetty’s script is very disappointing
While Sindhu progressed as expected, Ayush Shetty pulled off one of the biggest surprises of the opening match by eliminating the Indonesian No. 11 and world champion Alwi Farhan.Shetty recovered from losing the opening game to register a 17-21, 21-5, 21-17 victory in an unforgettable 57 minutes.The Indian was remarkably calm when he came back, taking control in the second game before holding on strongly to complete the best win of his career.The win is another important step for the promising youngster, who continues to fight against top opponents on the BWF World Tour.
India’s mixed economy
India’s campaign, however, ended in a couple of doubles.Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun lost 16-21, 7-21 against the Chinese pair of Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in the men’s doubles.In the mixed doubles, Rohan Kapoor and Gadde Ruthvika Shivani went down 9-21, 16-21 to top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping, while Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto lost 18-21, 18-21 to fifth-seeded Chinese pair Guo Xin Wai and Chen Fang Hui.