India's women's badminton team suffered a heartbreaking exit from the Uber Cup 2026 after losing 2-3 to China in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. The decisive match saw star shuttler PV Sindhu go down to Wang Zhiyi in a three-game thriller, ending India's hopes of advancing to the semifinals.
Match Summary
The tie began with India's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand losing to China's Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan in straight games. However, India bounced back as Sindhu defeated He Bingjiao in the second match to level the scores. The third match saw India's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Sikki Reddy lose to Liu Xuanxuan and Zhang Shuxian, putting China ahead 2-1.
Sindhu's Deciding Match
In the fourth match, India's Malvika Bansod defeated Han Yue to make it 2-2, setting the stage for Sindhu's decider against Wang Zhiyi. Sindhu started strong, winning the first game 21-18, but Wang fought back to take the second 21-16. The third game was a nail-biter, with both players exchanging leads. Ultimately, Wang prevailed 22-20, sealing China's victory.
India's Campaign Ends
India's women's team had shown promise earlier in the tournament, topping their group with wins over Canada and Scotland. However, the quarterfinal loss marks the end of their campaign. Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, expressed disappointment but vowed to return stronger.
The Uber Cup continues with China advancing to face South Korea in the semifinals. India will now focus on individual events in the upcoming tournaments.
