PV Sindhu's perfect record vs China ends, India's singles challenge over

PV Sindhu's loss to China's Wang Zhi Yi in the Round of 16 has brought India's singles campaign at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi to an end.BWF World Championships: PV Sindhu crashes out after losing to China's Wang Zhi Yi in pre-quarters (Reuters Photo)It was a heartbreaking day for the home fans in Delhi. After Ayush Shetty was steamrolled by Alwi Farhan, five-time medalist PV Sindhu lost to China's Wang Zhi Yi in an 88-minute women's singles Round of 16 marathon. Sindhu went down fighting 11-21, 21-15, 17-21.Sindhu gave it her all, backed by a vocal crowd at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, but World No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi overcame cramps to edge out the Indian and progress to the quarter-finals.It was PV Sindhu's first defeat to a Chinese shuttler at the World Championships, bringing an end to her 8-0 record against Chinese players at this level.Sindhu was keen to add a sixth World Championships medal to her famous trophy cabinet, and it would have been fitting had the two-time Olympic medallist won at home. But fate had other ideas for the champion shuttler. With Sindhu's defeat, India's singles campaign at the home World Championships came to an end. Earlier, Unnati Hooda and Lakshya Sen were knocked out in the second round on Wednesday.But it was an effort that Sindhu would be proud of. At 31, Sindhu gave it her all, showcasing her improved recovery methods, fitness training and skills. - EndsPublished By: Saurabh KumarPublished On: Aug 20, 2026 19:43 IST