PV SindhuAn impressive run came to an end at the China Open after the Indian badminton star suffered a tough round-robin defeat to home favorite and world No. 4 Chen Yufei on Thursday.Sindhu lost 21-16, 20-22, 18-21 in a match that lasted nearly 90 minutes. The defeat came just days after she ended her drought by winning the Japan Open, arriving in China with renewed confidence.The opening game was fiercely contested, with Sindhu fighting back from 7-13 to level at 16-16 before winning five straight points to take the match 21-16.Chen responded surprisingly in the second game. Sindhu looked set to end the match at 20-16, but the Tokyo Olympic champion saved four match points to take the match 22-20, forcing a decider.The qualifiers remained tied for most of the tournament, with both players tied on points. However, at 17-17, Chen raised his level and won crucial points to seal the match 21-18 and secure his place in the quarterfinals.Despite the defeat, Sindhu showed encouraging form following her Japan Open victory, but was unable to defeat the former Olympic champion in one of the tournament’s most famous matches.
