Horsens, 28 April (H.S.):

India’s women’s badminton campaign at the Uber Cup Finals ended with a comprehensive 0‑5 defeat to powerhouse China, knocking the team out at the group‑stage level in Horsens, Denmark. The loss, marked by a heart‑breaking collapse in the top‑singles clash, left India third in Group A behind China and hosts Denmark, with quarter‑final hopes dashed despite a spirited earlier win over Ukraine.

Double Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu started aggressively against world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi, even leading 18‑12 in the deciding game, but could not capitalise on her advantage and fell 16‑21, 21‑19, 19‑21. That agonising slipped opportunity handed China a 1‑0 lead and effectively broke India’s psychological momentum early in the tie.

In the opening doubles, Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra, seeded outside the top‑20, fought hard but were overpowered by world No. 1 pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, losing 11‑21, 8‑21. The pattern of consistent pressure from the Chinese machine continued as the tie progressed.

Baruah’s effort in vain, doubles and third singles surrender

In the second singles, Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yufei took on rising star Isharani Baruah, who put up a gritty, fast‑paced challenge but committed key errors at the net and on crucial shots, bowing 22‑20, 21‑13. The result gifted China an unassailable 3‑0 advantage, extinguishing India’s slim chances of a comeback.

Later, the second‑doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Kavipriya Selvam battled hard against Luo Shuxin and Zhang Shuxian, pushing the contest to three games (10‑21, 21‑12, 19‑21) but ultimately coming up short. In the final singles rubber, Devika Sihag gave a bright start against Xu Wenjing but could not maintain the rhythm, losing 21‑19, 17‑21, 10‑21, as China completed the 5‑0 clean sweep.

The women’s exit leaves India’s chances for deep‑round impact to the men’s side, which has already qualified for the Thomas Cup quarter‑finals after a 5‑0 win over Australia. The men’s team, coincidentally in Group A with China, faces the defending champions on Wednesday; a result in its favour could decide the group winner and revive the nation’s overall campaign in the combined Thomas–Uber Cup 2026.

Although India’s Uber Cup journey ended at the group stage, the squad’s tight contests against Denmark and Ukraine, plus individual performances like Sindhu’s early‑round heroics, underline the squad’s potential as it continues to climb the world‑badminton ladder.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar