Tokyo: PV Sindhu delivered one of her finest performances of the season, defeating world No. 5 Han Yue of China in straight games to book her place in the quarterfinals of the Japan Open Super 750 badminton tournament.
The world No. 10 Indian needed just 35 minutes to secure an impressive 21-16, 21-14 victory over the higher ranked Chinese player in their second round encounter. With the win, Sindhu extended her dominant head to head record against Han Yue to 8-1.
Sindhu made a slow start to the opening game but quickly settled into her rhythm midway through the contest. She began controlling the rallies with precise shot making and confident attacking play, allowing her to pull away and take the first game comfortably.
The former world champion was even more dominant in the second game, racing to an 8-0 lead and leaving her opponent with little opportunity to recover. Maintaining complete control throughout, Sindhu wrapped up the match with ease to seal a convincing victory.
The 31 year old will now face Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara in the quarterfinals. Okuhara progressed after receiving a walkover when top seed and world No. 1 An Se Young of South Korea withdrew from her second round match.
Sindhu is now India’s only remaining contender in the tournament after the mixed doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila exited in the round of 16.
The Indian duo put up a spirited fight against top seeded Chinese pair Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping but eventually lost 20-22, 17-21 in a closely contested match that lasted 47 minutes.
With her commanding display against one of the world’s top ranked players, Sindhu has boosted confidence ahead of the crucial quarterfinal as she continues her bid for the Japan Open title.
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