Digging deep: Sindhu’s win over Zhang helped her enter her first quarterfinal of the season.
| Photo Credit: AFP
India’s P.V. Sindhu produced another impressive show as she rallied to a three-game win over USA’s Beiwen Zhang to advance to the women’s singles quarterfinals but it was curtains for K. Srikanth at the French Open Super 750 badminton tournament here on Thursday.
Playing her first BWF tour event since returning from a knee injury, Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, battled her way from an opening-game reversal to outgun World No. 10 Zhang 13-21, 21-10, 21-14 to enter her first quarterfinal of the season.
Srikanth once again hit a roadblock, this time against Guang Zu to suffer yet another round-of-16 loss, something which will bother him as he held a 5-0 record against the Chinese ahead of the match.
The former World No. 1 lost 19-21, 21-12, 22-20 to the World No. 17 Chinese
In women’s singles, Sindhu started the proceedings with a cross-court winner but Zhang put up a defensive wall, engaging the Indian in long rallies dominated by a series of high tosses and clears.
Sindhu struggled with the conditions as, going for the backline, the Indian committed too many unforced errors to allow Zhang lead 11-7 and 14-9.
Zhang’s lifts repeatedly found the lines, while Sindhu missed time and again. Soon the American re-established a five-point lead at 16-11 before grabbing eight game points. The Chinese converted when Sindhu sprayed into net again.
Zhang had good control over her shots as she led 3-0 with a couple of lovely drops in the second game. Sindhu managed to level things at 4-4 before pouncing on a weak return near the net to go 6-4 up.
Sindhu soon started dictating terms in the rallies to move to 9-5 with her steep returns troubling Zhang. The Indian held an 11-7 lead at the break. Sindhu opened an eight-point gap with an over-the-head smash which was followed by a cross hit.
The Indian moved to 11 game points with another precise return at the back and roared back into the contest when Zhang tossed one out.
Two smashes helped Zhang take a 4-2 lead in the decider but Sindhu made it 5-5 after winning a 34-shot rally.
Zhang’s strokes were choppy as Sindhu moved to 8-5 before grabbing an 11-7 advantage.
Sindhu held on to the four-point lead at 17-13 with another over-the-head smash. A drop shot gave Sindhu six match points and she sealed it when Zhang made a net error.
In women’s doubles, Tresa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand beat Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto 16-21, 21-19, 21-17 in the women’s doubles first round.