PV Sindhu Stages Comeback to Reach BWF French Open Quarter-Finals

Paris: Indian badminton star PV Sindhu displayed her fighting spirit to overcome a slow start and defeat USA’s Beiwen Zhang 13-21, 21-10, 21-14 in a thrilling second-round encounter at the YONEX French Open 2024.

Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, initially struggled against Zhang’s aggressive play, dropping the opening game. However, she regrouped in the second, taking control of the rallies and building a commanding lead. The momentum shifted in the decider as Zhang surged ahead, but Sindhu dug deep, winning a crucial 34-shot rally to level the score and ultimately clinch victory in 55 minutes.

“Even though I lost the first game, I think I didn’t lose hope, and I kept fighting back. In the second and third game, I made sure to control my mistakes and I kept the shuttle in the court. You always want to perform really well when it matters the most, whether it is at the end of the game or a tournament like at the Olympics,” PV Sindhu said after the match as quoted by Olympics.com.

This win marks Sindhu’s return to the BWF World Tour quarter-finals since the Denmark Open last year. Her next challenge will be a formidable one – a clash against reigning Olympic champion Chen Yufei of China. Sindhu holds a positive 6-5 head-to-head record against the current world number two, promising an exciting encounter for badminton fans.