PV Sindhu’s campaign at the China Open 2026 ended in heartbreaking fashion on Thursday as China’s Chen Yufei staged a stunning comeback to claim a 16-21, 22-20, 21-18 victory and book her place in the women’s singles quarterfinals.
Sindhu appeared to be on course for one of her biggest wins of the tournament after taking the opening game and moving within a point of victory in the second. However, the experienced Chen saved four match points before forcing a decider and eventually turning the contest around to seal the win.
The match began with Chen, the fourth seed, making a strong start as she built a 12-6 lead in the opening game. Sindhu responded impressively, fighting back to level the scores at 16-16 before producing a clinical finish to reel off the closing points and secure the game 21-16.
The Indian continued to dictate play in the second game and looked set to wrap up the contest after earning four match points at 20-17. But Chen produced a remarkable recovery, winning five consecutive points to snatch the game 22-20 and force a deciding third game.
Sindhu held the early advantage in the decider, but Chen raised her level in the closing stages, pulling away when it mattered most to complete a memorable comeback after one hour of intense badminton.
With the victory, Chen advanced to the quarterfinals, where she will face the winner of the match between Ratchanok Intanon and Nguyễn Thùy Linh.
India’s challenge at the tournament also came to an end on Thursday as Ayush Shetty and Lakshya Sen exited in the men’s singles pre-quarterfinals.
World No. 28 Ayush Shetty suffered a narrow 21-15, 13-21, 20-22 defeat to Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen. After dropping the second game, the young Indian recovered well and led 19-15 in the deciding game. However, he was unable to convert the advantage as Nguyen mounted a late surge to clinch victory.
Later in the day, Lakshya Sen’s campaign ended with a straight-games defeat against Canada’s Victor Lai. Sen went down 19-21, 11-21, bringing India’s participation at the China Open 2026 to a close.
The day’s results marked a disappointing end for the Indian contingent, with Sindhu’s missed opportunity after holding four match points proving the closest the country came to securing a place in the quarterfinals.
