Daijiworld Media Network - Shenzhen

Shenzhen, Sep 18: Star Indian shuttler P V Sindhu advanced to the quarterfinals of the China Masters badminton tournament with a dominant straight-game victory over sixth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand on Thursday. The match, held in Shenzhen, saw Sindhu clinch the win 21-15, 21-15 in just 41 minutes, improving her head-to-head record against the Thai shuttler to 6-5.

Sindhu, a double Olympic medallist ranked 14th in the world, will now face the winner of the clash between top seed An Se Young of Korea and Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt in the quarterfinals.

Speaking after the match, Sindhu said, “I am happy with the win. It was very important for me to stay alert from the beginning and give my 100 per cent. The points were close, so every point counted. Straight wins always give confidence, but one must also be prepared for long matches.”

The Indian star also highlighted the challenges posed by air-conditioning drift in indoor stadiums, adding that controlling shots is key in such conditions. Sindhu is currently training under Irwansyah Adi Pratama, former men’s singles coach of the Indonesian badminton team, and praised the growing coordination in their partnership.

In men’s doubles action later, the eighth-seeded Indian pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are scheduled to face Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin in the round of 16.