Sindhu fritters four match points to lose to Chen Yufei at China Open | Badminton News

5 min readJul 23, 2026 09:57 AM PV Sindhu ran into familiar finishing blues playing Chen Yufei, as she frittered four match points to exit China Open Super 1000, losing 21-16, 20-22, 18-21. It was all of her nightmares coming together — a wasted lead from the brink of winning, two poor leaves on the lines that landed IN and exhaustion killing her power-switch from the backcourt to watch smashes land in the net. 
Winner of the Japan Open last week, Sindhu was expected to be exhausted. But she defied it all to get to match point against an opponent, a form Olympic champ, backed the home crowd. She even led 15-13 in the decider. But the finishing got fluffed as Yufei emboldened her audacious second set he, earned the decider and then ruled it.
Though Sindhu’s attack was good enough till the 15-point mark, Yufei had too much mental momentum riding her way, as she knew the Sindhu smash was fading out in strength with her 7th match in 10 days. The win came from Yufei pushing the Indian back, inviting a smash, which shorn off strength, went too flat – into the meshing. 
It was a lesson for Irwansyah if he needs to take Sindhu to the 2019 levels — she simply needs point–point instructions when closing out, wven at 31. Because impatience can resurface like a nut-allergy in her case and undo all her hard work. 
The first set fightback from Sindhu had started at the interval with an Irwansyah pep talk. The Indian trailed 6-12, a formidable lead given Yufei’s ability to forge on. But it was this very assurance that was disrupted Sindhu’s persence that quietly tuned out the noisy Chinese home crowd.
It wasn’t a flurry of an attack. Instead, she played the criss-crosses making Yufei tw and turn just as the coach had urged. The winners had been tough to plough down with Yufei’s stubborn defense and being better at the flatter game. The Chinese World No 4 also has a heavy shoulder smash that got matters standing at 6-12. 
The crisscross holding attack of Sindhu’s achieved the needful: it drew out errors in quick succession on the flanks, as the angles of returns triggered wide smash returns, and her efforts to pass to the back ended up long. With every error, you could see the clouding doubts engulf Yufei’s game as the pace slowed down. And Sindhu went for the kill. Story continues below this ad
A zip-smash for 15-13 from Yufei was her last retort, but a 44-shot rally in the next minute brought her undone. The retrieves were eye-popping from both women though the Chinese was unfortunately guilty of chasing shuttles that were clearly going wide. It ended with a body smash to bring Sindhu to within 14-15 of her opponent. 
The long rally had taken a toll. Yufei errors kept streaming as Sindhu levelled at 16-all. She nailed the next on the line, as the Chinese referral was unsuccessful. Sindhu though ended the set taking 15 of the last 19 points, painstakingly drawing out Chinese errors from wide smashes.
A big smash to the open back court gave Sindhu a 20-16 set point, and a delectable drop to front court gave her the opener against all expectations.
It all unraveled in the second set in mirror-fashion, as Sindhu fritters 4 match points, and showed familiar finishing blues. The Indian World No 8 had the lead from Point 1 to 20, before she crumbled from impatience.Story continues below this ad
Sindhu had been imposing with a double body smash attack to take off at 5-2. The attacking hits increased in volume, with a massive shoulder-smssh to get to 10-7 and then a conventional hammering shot to take the 11-7 lead. She even had a surging forward cross net swoosh kill to keep the lead at 14-11, and despite Yufei threatening to overturn things at 16-18, Sindhu was up 20-16. Then panic struck.
A 37-shot rally where Yufei showed why she is an Olympic champion, had tired, tormenting but tenacious retrieves as the Chinese got one back from a desperate out of position reflex return. The Chinese would incredibly get 6 in a row, as Sindhu let go a shuttle on the backline — the first signs of fatigue clouding judgment and the Indian hoping, wishing to get the points. The hope to get it done anyhow – despite knowing an opponent like Yufei doesn’t give up till the last point. 
Yufei took her tenacity the whole dance.