Paris Olympics: PV Sindhu’s dream of third successive medal crashes against He Bingjiao in Round of 16

It wasn’t nasty enough to qualify as a nightmare. He Bingjiao had two imperious body-smashes directed at PV Sindhu’s body, and was apologising profusely for wanting to score points in that fashion. The Indian’s fade-out from the stage of her biggest triumphs, the Olympics, was gentle in its goodbye, despite the fine-natured Chinese roaring uncharacteristically, and fist-pumping after her winners, of which there were many.

Sindhu’s 21-19, 21-13 loss to Bingjiao in the Round of 16, though, brought alive all the ravages of time in her third Games, the first from where she will return without a medal. Bingjiao is an affable Chinese, a former child prodigy who hasn’t quite hit the top rung at the Olympics. Sindhu, who had never lost to a Chinese at the Worlds or Olympics when winning a medal, was picked apart elegantly.

She’d scarcely talk of this as revenge, though Sindhu had denied her a bronze at Tokyo exactly three years ago to the day. Bingjiao who took auto-rides to and from her Delhi hotel when playing the India Open merrily trying out her English skills with anyone she met, and loves F.R.I.E.N.D.S, wasn’t gunning to be nasty. She just knew where to hurt Sindhu on the court, and pranced around executing the gig.

PV Sindhu 🗣️ “One will win and one will lose, and it was me today.”

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Left-handers have been a recent bane for the Indian, but none is as elegant as Bingjiao. Against a headbanger like Carolina Marin, Sindhu could match pace and plunder, though wins haven’t been forthcoming. But Bingjiao went for positional puncturing of Sindhu’s game.

The Chinese found myriad ways and strokes to get Sindhu uncomfortable on the low retrieves on her backhand at the front net corner. It’s not just a simple lunge that could trouble the Indian’s knee, but a proper contortion falling forward and then getting back up to move behind. As if hypnotised with the spot, Bingjiao kept dipping the shuttle with drops and taps and flicks to that backhand forecourt.

The Indian did well to retrieve most in defence. But it left the rest of the court wide open, and Sindhu’s court coverage just didn’t cut it, as Bingjiao sent down mammoth straight smashes.

Fighting for every point

From 5-9, Sindhu gamely reached 13-13 in the opening game. She fell behind 15-18 but still scurried around diligently, her defence lending confidence to her attack as she made it 19-19 with a vintage down-the-line smash. But the Chinese was moving so well, an explosive burst added to her pretty stroke-making, and she nailed a sideline ping to go up 20-19. To take the opener, the 27-year-old again drew Sindhu forward and finished the point with a deep hit to the back immediately. In those two points, Sindhu grew weary knowing coming back from this was an uphill task.

He Bing Jiao has completed her Tokyo revenge in Paris ✅

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In the second game, Sindhu went 2-8 down far too quickly. Bingjiao who’s had numerous tearful exits, bullied by Marin, out-smarted by Tai Tzu-Ying, overpowered by Chen Yufei, is a rare player who troubles Korean favourite An Se Young. Her latent talent, considered generational in China, has blossomed as she grew a veneer of in-your-face aggression and a bit of ruthlessness to add sting to the brainy shotmaking.

It was all too much for Sindhu, who didn’t relent in defence, but whose power doesn’t bury opponents’ wills. The woman that Sindhu defeated at Tokyo had broken down when she was peppered with attacks. This one at Paris was proud of her ethereal skills. And not shy of stomping.

In the immediate aftermath of such a disappointing defeat, Sindhu could only wonder what could have been if some of the crucial points had gone her way.

“I should have controlled my mistakes, that’s what I felt in the second game especially. It’s sad that I couldn’t convert it into a win, it was 19-19 at one point in the first game,” the two-time Olympic medallist said.

Sindhu’s domination over the Chinese was neatly folded away like an elegant napkin, but her dream of a three-peat sat still on the table like an unfinished, cold meal.

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