PV Sindhu (Photo by @BAI_Media on X) PV Sindhu let a strong position slip as India crashed out of the Uber Cup with a 0-5 loss to China, who again showed why they are the most dominant team with a record 16 titles in the history of the tournament.India came into the play-off under pressure after losing to Denmark earlier, though they bounced back with a win over Ukraine. Against a powerful Chinese side, however, they needed everything to go right and it didn’t. Team leader Sindhu gave India early hope with a spirited performance against world number two Wang Zhiyi. After losing the first game, she fought back and looked set for a big win in the decider, taking an 18-12 lead. But she lost six points in a row in a dramatic collapse to eventually go down 16-21, 21-19, 19-21.This defeat set the tone for the rest of the tie. The Indian doubles pair of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra struggled against the top-ranked Chinese duo and lost comfortably. Isharani Baruah then had a chance to keep India alive and showed promise against Chen Yufei, but crucial errors, including a lost game point, cost her dearly as she lost in straight games to give China an unassailable 3-0 lead.Even after the decision was made, the Indian players continued to fight. Treesa Jolly and Kavipriya Selvam stretched their doubles to three games but it was not enough in the end. Devika Sihag also started strongly in singles but could not sustain the momentum and lost after three games.While the score looks one-sided, India had opportunities but failed to capitalize on them at crucial moments. The loss once again highlighted the gap between India and a well-rounded Chinese side.Attention will now shift to the Thomas Cup, where the Indian men’s team has already advanced to the quarter-finals and will next face China in a crucial encounter.
