"Badminton at Its Best": Vimal Kumar Lauds PV Sindhu Despite China Open Defeat to Chen Yufei

Fresh off a historic win at the Japan Open 2026, PV Sindhu suffered a heartbreak in the ongoing China Open 2026 after a gripping 1:29-hour marathon against Chen Yufei. In a contest where both the shuttlers pushed their boundaries, the World number 8 came within touching distance of defeating the World No. 4 on four occasions. However, the Chinese shuttler staged a remarkable comeback and won the game 16-21, 22-20, and 21-18.

Chen pushed the match into a decider after a hard-fought second game win over Sindhu, where an end-to-end battle ensued between both shuttlers. In the end, Yufei managed to win the game by a razor-thin margin.

It turned out to be a cruel end to what could have turned out to be one of the finest runs for the Indian shuttler. Interestingly, the match against Chen Yufei is a rematch of the semifinal clash at the Japan Open, which took place a week earlier. In that match, Sindhu gained a walkover after Chen had to pull out due to a hamstring injury. But a slight niggle derailed the momentum for Sindhu as Chen got the home support rally behind her.

Despite the loss, Vimal Kumar, former Indian player and coach of Sindhu, who helped her during the formative years at the PPBA in Bengaluru, spoke in high regard about the relentless fight displayed by the Indian shuttler.

"Badminton At Its Very Best..."- Vimal Kumar Praises PV Sindhu's Resilience

Kumar posted on his official X account (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "What a match between PV Sindhu and Chen Yufei-badminton at its very best."

"After the heartbreaking second game, Sindhu showed immense courage and composure in the decider, despite finishing from the tougher end. A little more luck in the second and the outcome could easily have been different."

He also credited the Chinese shuttler Chen Yufei for her remarkable consistency at the top level. The Chinese shuttler displayed exemplary skill on the court and mixed both 'attacking and defensive skills' together.

In the closing parts of the game, the former Indian badminton player once again stressed on the importance of the traditional 21-point system.

"Matches like these are exactly why the traditional 21-point scoring system is so special. We may not see many classics like this once the new scoring system comes into effect next year."