PV Sindhu Accuses China Open Of Bias After 2nd Round Exit: 'Funny How...'

Last Updated:July 23, 2026, 21:21 IST

PV Sindhu criticized China Open scheduling after losing to Chen Yufei. She cited a short turnaround between her matches, unlike her opponent.

PV Sindhu took a sly dig at the China Open authorities for what she felt was bias against her in the scheduling of the second-round match against Chinese Chen Yufei on Thursday. Sindhu squandered an early advantage to bow out of the Open after a gruelling three-game defeat to the local favourite on Thursday.

Sindhu went down 21-16, 20-22, 18-21 in an energy-sapping battle that lasted nearly 90 minutes. The 30-year-old Hyderabadi had entered the tournament on a high after ending a lengthy title drought with victory at the Japan Open last week. On Thursday, she beat Unnati Hooda 14-21, 21-9, 10-21 and seemed to suggest the short turnaround affected her game.

The fourth-seeded Chen will next face seventh seed Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in the quarterfinals on Friday, giving the Chinese one full day’s rest before the clash.

“About 16 hours for me between matches. 24+ hours for my dear friend Chen tomorrow after having a full day off before facing me today. Lovely to see recovery being given the importance it deserves. Funny how schedules have a way of taking care of recovery. I only wish they took care of everyone the same way. 😉😂💪🙏"

The opening game set the tone for a closely fought contest. Sindhu fought back from 7-13 to level the score at 16-16 before reeling off five straight points to take an early lead.

Chen, however, staged a remarkable comeback in the second game. Sindhu led 20-16 and had four game points, but the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist won six consecutive points to snatch the game 22-20 and force a decider. The third game remained tightly contested, with neither player able to establish a significant advantage. But with the score tied at 17-17, Chen produced the decisive burst to pull away and seal victory.

Meanwhile, Ayush Shetty lost in a three-game thriller to Nhat Nguyen and Lakshay Sen lost to Victor Lai in straight games.

News sports badminton PV Sindhu Accuses China Open Of Bias After 2nd Round Exit: 'Funny How...'

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