In another impressive display, P V Sindhu rallied to a two-game victory over USA’s Beiwen Zhang, advancing to the women’s singles quarterfinals at the French Open Super 750 badminton tournament held on Thursday. It was, however, curtains for Kidambi Srikanth.
Sindhu initiated the proceedings with a cross-court winner, but Zhang countered with a defensive approach, engaging Sindhu in prolonged rallies dominated by high tosses and clears.
Sindhu faced challenges with the conditions, resulting in numerous unforced errors while attempting shots towards the backline, allowing Zhang to establish leads of 11-7 and 14-9.
Zhang consistently found the lines with her lifts, while Sindhu struggled with her timing. Soon, Zhang surged ahead with a five-point lead at 16-11, eventually securing the first game with a comfortable margin after Sindhu committed errors into the net.
In the second game, Zhang took an early 3-0 lead with well-executed drops. However, Sindhu managed to level the score at 4-4 before capitalizing on a weak return near the net to go up 6-4.
Sindhu then asserted control over the rallies, moving to a 9-5 lead with her sharp returns troubling Zhang. At the mid-game interval, Sindhu held an 11-7 advantage.
The momentum shifted in Sindhu’s favour as she opened up an eight-point gap, displaying her dominance with powerful smashes and precise shots. She secured the game with a significant lead, roaring back into the contest.
In the decider, Zhang initially took a 4-2 lead with two smashes, but Sindhu levelled the score at 5-5 after winning a lengthy 34-shot rally. Despite playing from the windy side, Sindhu opted for more downward shots while Zhang struggled with inconsistency.
As Zhang’s strokes became choppy and her net play erratic, Sindhu extended her lead to 8-5 before reaching 11-7 as Zhang made a miscued shot.
Maintaining her lead, Sindhu held on to a four-point advantage at 17-13 with another over-the-head smash. A well-placed drop shot gave Sindhu six match points, and she clinched the victory when Zhang committed another net error.
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