Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu battled past compatriot Unnati Hooda in the opening round of the China Open 2026 badminton tournament in Changzhou, the People’s Republic of China on Wednesday.
World No. 12 PV Sindhu, fresh off her win at the Japan Open, beat 24th-ranked Unnati Hooda 21-14, 9-21, 21-10 in a 58-minute-long three-game affair to advance to the second round of women’s singles.
Interestingly, it was Unnati Hooda who had knocked PV Sindhu out in the second round at last year’s China Open.
Sindhu, who won the China Open back in 2016, will face Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion and local favourite Chen Yufei in the round of 16.
The Indian badminton player had defeated Chen Yufei, currently fourth in the women’s singles badminton rankings, in the semi-finals of the Japan Open last week.
Sindhu is the lone Indian still left in women’s singles after Devika Sihag exited in the opening round on Tuesday.
It was a good day for Indians on the men’s singles front, with both Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty winning their respective matches.
Paris 2024 semi-finalist Lakshya Sen defeated Japan’s Yushi Tanaka 22-20, 15-21, 21-14 while Ayush Shetty, 23rd in the rankings, upset world No. 11 Alwi Faran of Malaysia 21-17, 5-21, 21-17.
Asian Games medallist HS Prannoy had bowed out of the men’s singles event on Tuesday.
India’s doubles campaign at the BWF Super 1000 tournament, meanwhile, didn’t extend beyond the opening round.
In mixed doubles, Olympian Tanisha Crasto and partner Dhruv Kapila lost 21-18, 21-18 to the world No. 6 Chinese pair of Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui – bronze medal winners from last year’s World Championships.
Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, meanwhile, lost 21-9, 21-16 to the world No. 1 mixed team of Feng Yan Zhe and Dong Ping Huang.
MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan also came out second best to a Chinese pair in the men’s doubles bracket, losing 21-16, 21-7 to fourth seeds and Paris 2024 silver medal winners Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang.
There were no Indian women’s doubles entries at the China Open.
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/china-open-2026-badminton-india-day-2-report
