PV Sindhu criticised the scheduling at the China Open after her second-round defeat to home favourite and world no. 4 Chen Yufei on Thursday, raising concerns over the difference in recovery time between players. The Indian badminton star revealed that she had only 16 hours between her first-round match and her clash against Chen, while her opponent had more than a full day to recover before the encounter.
Taking to X after the loss, the double Olympic medallist wrote: “About 16 hours for me between matches. 24+ hours for my dear friend Chen tomorrow after having a full day off before facing me today.” She followed it up with another post, adding: “Lovely to see recovery being given the importance it deserves. Funny how schedules have a way of taking care of recovery. I only wish they took care of everyone the same way.”
Sindhu's campaign ended with a hard-fought 21-16, 20-22, 18-21 defeat in a match that lasted nearly 90 minutes. The 30-year-old from Hyderabad entered the China Open after winning the Japan Open, ending a prolonged title drought. The opening game saw Chen take an early 13-7 lead before Sindhu staged an impressive comeback. After drawing level at 16-16, the Indian reeled off five consecutive points to claim the game 21-16.
Chen bounced back in the second game despite Sindhu appearing to be on the verge of victory. Holding a 20-16 lead with four match points, Sindhu was unable to close out the contest as the Chinese star won six straight points to take the game 22-20 and force a decider. The final game remained evenly balanced with the scores tied at 17-17. Chen, however, held her nerve in the closing stages, winning four of the last five points to complete the comeback and secure the victory in front of the home crowd.
The scheduling issue quickly became a major talking point after the match. Sindhu had less than a day to recover following her opening-round win before taking on Chen in a physically demanding contest. In contrast, Chen had more than 24 hours between her matches after receiving a full day's break before facing Sindhu. She will also enjoy another full day of recovery before meeting Thailand's seventh seed Ratchanok Intanon in the quarterfinals.
