Delivering a masterclass on the court, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu secured a spot in the Japan Open Super 750 quarterfinals with a brilliant straight-games victory over China's Han Yue on Thursday. Currently ranked 10th in the world, the unseeded Indian star dismantled the world No. 5 in just 35 minutes, wrapping up a commanding 21-16, 21-14 triumph in their second-round encounter.
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PV Sindhu roars into Japan Open quarters
The match began with Sindhu finding her footing after a slightly slow start. Once she settled into her rhythm midway through the opening game, she seized control by dictating the rallies and striking the shuttle with pinpoint precision to claim the first game. She then carried that momentum into the second game, leaving no room for a comeback as she raced to a dominant 8-0 lead before effortlessly sealing the match.
This stellar performance stands as one of Sindhu's finest showings of the season. With this victory, she further asserts her dominance over the higher-ranked Chinese shuttler, extending her impressive head-to-head record against Han to 8-1.
All eyes on Sindhu vs Okuhura show
Next up for PV Sindhu is a highly anticipated clash with her long-time rival, Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara. Okuhara advanced to the quarterfinals via a walkover after the tournament's top seed, South Korea's An Se-young, pulled out of their second-round match.
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With her teammates out of the running, Sindhu now carries the torch as India's sole remaining competitor in the tournament. The nation's campaign in the mixed doubles came to an end in the pre-quarterfinals, where Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila put up a spirited fight but ultimately fell 20-22, 17-21 to the top-seeded Chinese duo of Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping in a 47-minute battle.