PV Sindhu’s journey at the Badminton Asia Championships came to an end in the Round of 16 at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center on Thursday, April 9. The Indian badminton player was defeated by World No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi in straight sets with a score of 21-18, 21-8, closing her participation in the tournament.
Although Sindhu displayed resilience in the first game, staying competitive and challenging Wang during the mid-game phase, she couldn’t capitalize on crucial moments, allowing Wang to secure the first game at 21-18. In the second game, Wang dominated from the start, taking control and extending the lead steadily as Sindhu struggled to keep up, leading to a 21-8 defeat and the match loss.
This outcome mirrors Sindhu’s performance in the 2025 tournament edition, where she also exited in the Round of 16 after a defeat to Akane Yamaguchi. On the other hand, Wang Zhi Yi’s victory signifies an improvement from the previous year when she was eliminated at the same stage by Sim Yu Jin.
Sindhu’s departure contributes to a challenging tournament for India in the singles events, following Lakshya Sen’s first-round loss to Lee Cheuk Yiu despite his strong performance at the All England Badminton Championships. The early exits of both Sindhu and Lakshya have impacted India’s chances in the singles categories.
Nonetheless, India still has representatives in the Round of 16 in other categories. HS Prannoy is scheduled to compete against Weng Hong Yang in men’s singles, while in mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto will face Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will compete against Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto in women’s doubles, and Aakarshi Kashyap will participate in women’s singles.
As the tournament progresses, India aims to achieve success in the upcoming matches across different categories.