Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu let a strong position slip as India failed to seize key opportunities, suffering a 0-5 defeat to China to bow out of the Uber Cup Finals.
The Indian women’s team had earlier begun their campaign with a narrow 2-3 loss to Denmark before recovering with a 4-1 victory over Ukraine. However, China — the most successful side in Uber Cup history with 16 titles — proved too strong yet again, extending India’s losing streak against them in major ties.
While Sindhu continued to lead the side, Isharani Baruah and Devika Sihag were brought in for the other singles matches, replacing Unnati Hooda and Tanvi Sharma.
Sindhu sparked hope in the opening singles, appearing on course for a big win before surrendering an 18-12 lead in the decider to lose 16-21, 21-19, 19-21 against world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi, giving China a 1-0 advantage in the crucial Group A clash on Monday.
From there, a comeback required something extraordinary. Though the young Indian players showed determination, they lacked composure in decisive moments.
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In the first doubles, Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra were outclassed by the world No. 1 pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, going down 11-21, 8-21.
Tasked with keeping India in contention, Baruah displayed attacking intent against Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yufei but faltered at key junctures, leaving shuttles and making errors at the net. The world No. 38 Indian squandered a game point at 20-19 in the opener as the world No. 4 Chinese prevailed 22-20, 21-13 in 44 minutes, sealing the tie for China at 3-0.
The doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Kavipriya Selvam showed flashes of promise before losing 10-21, 21-12, 19-21 in a hard-fought 59-minute match against Luo Xu Min and Zhang Shu Xian.
In the final singles, world No. 43 Sihag—who had claimed her maiden Super 300 title in Thailand earlier this year—started strongly but couldn’t sustain the momentum, falling 21-19, 17-21, 10-21 to world No. 97 Xu Wen Jing.
Sindhu’s match was a tale of shifting momentum. She recovered from an early 4-7 deficit in the first game to level at 9-9 and then surged ahead with five straight points to lead 11-9 at the break. With sharp net play and powerful smashes, she extended the lead to 14-10, but Wang responded with clever deception and precise placement. From 16-16, the Chinese edged ahead and closed out the game.
In the second game, Sindhu attacked relentlessly, building a 9-4 lead. Though Wang drew level at 10-10, Sindhu held her nerve late on. Leading 18-16, she earned two game points and converted the second with a decisive smash to force a decider.
She carried that momentum into the third game, racing to a 9-3 lead and extending it to 11-6 at the interval. Maintaining her attacking approach, Sindhu looked in control at 18-12 before the match turned dramatically. Wang reeled off six straight points to level at 18-18, then edged ahead 19-18. Sindhu briefly restored parity, but Wang earned match point with a steep smash and sealed victory when Sindhu hit the net, completing a stunning comeback.
“It was a good match. It would have been really good if I had converted it into a win. I had chances, but there were no easy points—every rally was hard fought,” Sindhu said after the loss. Attention now shifts to the men’s team, which will look to respond when it faces China in the Thomas Cup on Wednesday.
