PV Sindhu Suffers Quarterfinal Defeat to He Bingjiao at Asian Games

Two-time Olympic medallist Indian shuttler PV Sindhu faced a disappointing defeat in the women’s singles quarterfinals at the Asian Games. She lost in straight games to China’s He Bingjiao, currently ranked 15th in the world, who displayed superior skills and strategy on Thursday.

The match was characterized by Sindhu struggling to find her form against world No. 5 Bingjiao. The Chinese shuttler, who Sindhu had previously defeated in straight games at the Tokyo Olympics to claim the bronze medal, avenged her loss by defeating Sindhu with a scoreline of 16-21, 12-21. The match lasted just 47 minutes.

Sindhu’s performance in this quarterfinal was a far cry from her previous feats. She was unable to recreate her Olympic success and lost a chance to improve upon her previous two Asian Games medals. In 2014, she won bronze in Incheon, and in 2018, she secured silver in Jakarta.

The first game of the match saw both players evenly matched initially, with the score tied at 6-6. However, Bingjiao soon took control, leading 9-5. Sindhu struggled with her court coverage, allowing Bingjiao to dictate the pace of the game and secure points with precise placements and powerful smashes, ultimately winning the first game in 23 minutes.

The second game saw Sindhu’s woes continue as Bingjiao took an early 5-1 lead. Sindhu struggled with her returns, making errors that Bingjiao capitalized on with pinpoint smashes. Although Sindhu managed to close the gap at 8-9 with four consecutive points, Bingjiao regained control and surged to a 12-8 lead. From there, Sindhu’s performance declined, and Bingjiao swiftly closed out the game and the match.

Sindhu’s exit from the Asian Games quarterfinals was met with disappointment among her fans, as they had hoped for a strong showing from the Indian shuttler on the international stage.