PV Sindhu edges past Han Yue to enter Denmark Open quarterfinals

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu overcame a sluggish start to defeat world number seven Han Yue of China in a thrilling contest, progressing to quarterfinals of Denmark Open Super 750 bminton tournament on Thursday.

Sindhu, a former world champion and currently ranked 18th, won 18-21 21-12 21-16 in a second-round match that lasted 63 minutes.

This marks her first win over a top-10 player since defeating Han in Malaysia Masters final in May.

With this victory, Sindhu, who is currently working with Anup Sridhar and Lee Hyun-il, extended her he-to-he record against Han to 7-1 in eight encounters.

A finalist in 2015 edition, Sindhu, lone surviving Indian in fray, will next face eir Indonesia's Paris Olympic bronze medallist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung or Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt in only her third quarterfinals this year.

She h reached last eight in French Open and Spain Mrid Masters, apart from finals in Malaysia.

Sindhu, who returned medal-less from Paris for first time in three Olympics , has an overwhelming 10-2 record against Tunjung but two hasn't played each or this year so far.

24-year-old Han h previously defeated Sindhu at Bminton Asia Championships in April, making this match particularly significant.

Sindhu and Han started with short rallies, splitting initial eight points but Sindhu conceded five straight points to fall behind. She looked to extend rallies to tire out her opponent, who h played a 79-minute opener on Wednesday.

This strategy seemed to work as Indian managed to cut deficit to 9-10 before Han delivered a precise on--line return.

Han led 14-10 after break, with Sindhu faltering in her aggressive approach. Poor execution of shots saw her struggle at 13-17. A body return cramped Sindhu, allowing Han to grab six game points, but Indian saved four before Han won game with a cross-court shot.

Sindhu came out with positive intent, going up 3-0 after change of sides. At 4-3, she unleashed a thunderous smash on return of serve, signalling her determination.

With a bit more pace in rallies, Sindhu established a five-point vantage at break, capitalizing on Han's unforced errors.

momentum shifted completely as Han struggled. Sindhu asserted her authority through a net kill to go up 15-7. She soon seized 10 game points and stretched match to a decider.

In third game, both rivals increased intensity, with Sindhu appearing more proactive. She ded power to her returns, leing 6-3 early on. However, fortunes turned again as Han curtailed her errors and produced precise returns to pull four points ahe at interval with a six-point burst.

Rebounding, an energized Sindhu reeled off four straight points to equalize. Indian looked pumped up, landing her returns with more sting, even as Han missed a couple of backhand returns that went wide. At 12-13, Han won a 45-shot rally with a wristy, deceptive return to stay in match.

two tred blows, exchanging les frequently from 14-14 to 16-16. Sindhu n moved two points clear as Han went wide, quickly vancing to 19-16 with a backhand winner. She seized four match points with a high backhand block and sealed victory when Han miscued a shot.