India’s run in the Uber Cup 2026 came to a heartbreaking end as they were beaten 0-5 by China in the Group A clash on Monday, April 27. The tone for the exit was set by PV Sindhu’s loss in the singles match to world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi, where she let a lead slip in the decider to lose 16-21, 21-19, 19-21.
THOMAS AND UBER CUP 2026: FULL COVERAGE
India had qualified for the quarterfinals of the Thomas Cup with a 5-0 win over Australia earlier in the day. The Indian women started their campaign with a narrow 2-3 loss to hosts Denmark before responding in style with a commanding 4-1 win over Ukraine. However, they needed a win against China to keep their hopes alive. However, things went downhill the moment Sindhu lost her singles clash with Wang.
The Indian ace started her match well despite trailing early. After trailing 4-7 early in the opening game, she fought back to level at 9-9 and then won five consecutive points to go into the interval with an 11-9 advantage.
Using sharp net play and powerful smashes, she extended her lead to 14-10, but Wang responded strongly with clever deception and accurate placement to fight back. From 16-16, the Chinese player took control and sealed the game with a string of winners.
Sindhu came out aggressively in the second game, storming to a 9-4 lead with a flurry of smashes. Wang fought back to level at 10-10 with her trademark angles and deception, but Sindhu stayed composed late on. Leading 18-16, she earned two game points and converted the second with a powerful smash to force a decider.
She carried that momentum into the third game, racing to a 9-3 lead and extending it to 11-6 at the break before pushing ahead to 18-12 with relentless attacking play. But Wang produced a stunning comeback, winning six straight points to make it 18-18. From there, the Chinese shuttler edged ahead and sealed the match after Sindhu found the net on match point.
OTHER RESULTS
Sindhu’s loss put India immediately on the backfoot and China used the momentum to secure the comfortable win. In the doubles clash, world No. 1 Chinese pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning beat India’s Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra in straight games, tightening China’s hold on the tie.
India’s exit was confirmed when Isharani Baruah went down to Chen Yu Fei in the next singles match, giving China an unassailable 3-0 lead. With the result settled, the remaining matches were only a formality.
Tanisha Crasto and Kavipriya Selvam put up a fight against Zhang Shuxian and Luo Xumin, but ultimately lost 21-10, 12-21, 19-21 in the end.
Devika Sihag put up a similar fight against Xu Wenjing but she couldn’t salvage pride for India at the end, losing the match 21-19, 17-21, 10-21.
– Ends
