P V Sindhu, double Olympic medallist and former world champion, advanced to the round of 16 at the China Open Super 1000 event on Wednesday by defeating sixth seed Tomoka Miyazaki of Japan 21-15, 8-21, 21-17 in a 62-minute match in Changzhou.Sindhu, currently ranked 15th globally, displayed dominance in the opening game, securing seven consecutive points to establish a commanding 13-5 lead before clinching the game.The second game saw a remarkable comeback from 18-year-old Miyazaki, who claimed nine straight points to lead 12-8 and eventually leveled the match.In the decisive third game, Sindhu maintained control throughout, securing her victory against the world No. 6 Japanese player in their second career meeting.This win marks a potential turnaround for Sindhu, who faced a first-round exit at the Super 750 Japan Open last week, losing to Korea’s Sim Yu Jin 15-21, 14-21.The Indian champion has experienced a challenging season with early exits at multiple tournaments, including first or second-round losses at the Indonesia Open, Singapore Open, Malaysia Masters, Asian Championships, Swiss Open, All England Open, and Indonesia Masters.In men’s doubles, the world No. 15 pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty secured a convincing victory over Japan’s Kenya Mitsuhashi and Hiroki Okamura, winning 21-13, 21-9 in 31 minutes.The former world No. 1 duo, who have reached semifinals at the Malaysia Open, India Open, and Singapore Open this season, demonstrated strong coordination throughout their match.In women’s doubles action, the Indian pair of Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda suffered a defeat against Hong Kong’s Nga Ting Yeung Yeung and Pui Lam Yeung, losing 12-21, 13-21 in 31 minutes.
