Sindhu and Ayush Shine at China Open; Lakshya Sen to Begin Campaign

Score: P.V. Sindhu beat Unnati Hooda 21-14, 9-21, 21-10; Ayush Shetty beat Alwi Farhan 21-17, 5-21, 21-17

Changzhou, July 2026 : Fresh from ending her title drought with a memorable triumph at the Japan Open, two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu made a winning start to her China Open campaign on Wednesday, overcoming fellow Indian Unnati Hooda in a hard-fought three-game contest. Young shuttler Ayush Shetty also grabbed the spotlight by registering a stunning upset victory over Indonesia’s World No. 11 Alwi Farhan to advance to the men’s singles pre-quarterfinals.

Sindhu defeated the 18-year-old Hooda 21-14, 9-21, 21-10 in a 56-minute battle that showcased both players’ fighting spirit. The victory was particularly satisfying for the experienced Indian, who had suffered a shock defeat to Hooda at the same tournament last year. This time, Sindhu relied on her experience and composure to reverse that result and book her place in the second round.

The former world champion started confidently, controlling the rallies to take the opening game with ease. Hooda, however, bounced back impressively in the second game, unsettling Sindhu with aggressive shot-making and forcing errors to level the contest. With the match heading into a decider, Sindhu regained control, tightened her defence and produced a dominant display to wrap up the match comfortably.

The victory sets up an exciting second-round encounter for Sindhu against China’s fourth-seeded former Olympic champion Chen Yufei. Sindhu will head into the clash with renewed confidence after defeating Chen during her successful run to the Japan Open title last week, raising hopes of another strong performance against the home favourite.

Ayush Shetty also enjoyed a memorable day by defeating former World Junior champion Alwi Farhan in a thrilling three-game contest. The Indian prevailed 21-17, 5-21, 21-17 to reach the last 16 and register one of the biggest victories of his senior career.

Shetty displayed excellent attacking badminton in the opening game, putting constant pressure on the Indonesian to claim an early advantage. Farhan responded strongly in the second game, dominating proceedings to level the match comfortably. However, the Indian youngster showed remarkable composure in the deciding game, maintaining his focus during crucial rallies to seal an impressive victory.

The win also served as sweet revenge for Shetty, who had lost to Farhan in the semifinals of the 2023 BWF World Junior Championships. His latest triumph highlights his growing maturity and ability to compete against higher-ranked international opponents.

India’s campaign, however, suffered setbacks in the doubles events. Mixed doubles pair Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde bowed out after losing in straight games to top-seeded Chinese duo Yan Zhe Feng and Dong Ping Huang. Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also exited the tournament following a defeat against China’s Xin Wa Guo and Fang Hui Chen.

In men’s doubles, M.R. Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan were eliminated after going down to fourth-seeded Chinese Taipei pair Wei Keng Liang and Chang Wang, bringing India’s challenge in the discipline to an end.

Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen was scheduled to begin his men’s singles campaign later in the day against Japan’s Yushi Tanaka, as India looked to continue its encouraging run in the prestigious BWF Super 1000 tournament.

Team Maverick