PV Sindhu Let the strong position slip as India crashed out of the Uber Cup with a 0-5 loss to China, showing once again why they are the most dominant team in the history of the tournament with a record 16 titles.India had earlier come under pressure after losing to Denmark, though they bounced back with a win against Ukraine. Against a powerful Chinese side, however, they needed everything to go right, and it didn’t. Sindhu, who leads the team, gave India early hope with a spirited performance against world No. 2 Wang Zhi. She bounced back from losing the first game and looked poised for a big win in the decider, leading 18-12. But in a dramatic collapse, she lost six straight points and eventually went down 16-21, 21-19, 19-21.The defeat set the tone for the rest of the tie. India’s doubles pair of Priya Konjengbaum and Shruti Mishra struggled against the top-ranked Chinese pair and lost comfortably. Ishrani Baroah then had a chance to keep India alive and showed promise against Chen Yufei, but crucial errors, including a lost game point, cost her as she lost in straight games, giving China an unassailable 3-0 lead.Even after the tie was decided, the Indian players continued to fight. Teresa Jolly and Kavipriya Selom extended their doubles match to three games but fell short in the end. Devika Sahag also started strongly in her singles match but could not sustain the momentum and lost after three games.Although the scoreline looked one-sided, India had chances but failed to seize them at crucial moments. The loss once again highlighted the gulf between India and a well-drilled Chinese side.Attention will now turn to the Thomas Cup, where the Indian men’s team has already reached the quarter-finals and will next face China in a crucial clash.
