Dominant day for Indians at China Masters

Indian badminton fans had plenty to cheer on Thursday as P V Sindhu and the star men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty booked their places in the quarterfinals of the China Masters with convincing straight-game victories.

Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, showed signs of returning to her best form after a shaky run in recent tournaments. She brushed aside sixth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand 21-15, 21-15 in just 41 minutes. The victory not only secured her progress but also tilted her career head-to-head record against Chochuwong to 6-5.

The win comes as a boost for Sindhu, who had suffered an early exit at the Hong Kong Open last week. Up next, however, lies a massive challenge: a quarterfinal clash against world No.1 An Se Young of Korea, who overcame Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt 23-21, 21-14.

Sindhu said she was pleased with her focus and composure throughout the match.

“I am happy with the win and it was important for me to stay alert from the start. She (Chochuwong) is a top player, so I had to give my 100 percent. After taking the first game, I made sure not to relax and kept pushing in the second,” she said.

The 29-year-old also highlighted the importance of adapting to court conditions, especially the drift caused by strong air-conditioning. “Every tournament has a drift. The key is control, though sometimes it’s very hard,” she explained. Sindhu also credited her ongoing partnership with Indian women’s singles coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama, saying their steady work together is starting to show results.

Meanwhile, Satwik and Chirag continued their impressive run after reaching the Hong Kong Open final earlier this month. The eighth-seeded pair dominated Chinese Taipei’s Hsiang Chieh Chiu and Wang Chi-Lin 21-13, 21-12 in only 32 minutes, extending their winning record over the pair to 2-0 this season.

The Indians were in complete command, racing to a 7-2 lead in the opening game before sealing it in under 15 minutes. The second game followed the same script, with Satwik and Chirag never allowing their opponents a chance to stage a fightback.

The former world No.1 pair will now face China’s Ren Xiang Yu and Xie Haonan, ranked 30th in the world, for a spot in the semifinals.

With Sindhu finding her rhythm and Satwik-Chirag building momentum, India’s campaign at the China Masters is gathering steam at just the right time.