India’s campaign at the Uber Cup Finals came to a disappointing end after a 0-5 defeat against a dominant China in Horsens, Denmark, on Monday.
Heading into the must-win Group A tie, India needed a near-perfect performance to stay alive. However, despite moments of promise, the team failed to convert opportunities against the most successful side in the tournament’s history.
The contest began with PV Sindhu, India’s most experienced player, taking on world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi. Sindhu appeared in control for large parts of the match and even held a commanding 18-12 lead in the deciding game. But in a dramatic turnaround, Wang clawed back to win 16-21, 21-19, 19-21, giving China an early advantage.
That opening loss proved decisive. In the first doubles, Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra struggled against the world No. 1 pair of Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, going down 11-21, 8-21 as China tightened its grip on the tie.
India’s hopes then rested on Isharani Baruah, who showed flashes of brilliance against Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yufei. The young Indian pushed hard, especially in a closely fought first game, but crucial errors at key moments allowed Chen to secure a 22-20, 21-13 victory and seal the tie 3-0 in China’s favour.
With the result decided, the remaining matches followed a similar pattern. Treesa Jolly and Kavipriya Selvam fought hard in the second doubles but fell short 10-21, 21-12, 19-21 against Luo Xu Min and Zhang Shu Xian.
In the final singles, Devika Sihag started strongly but could not sustain her momentum, losing 21-19, 17-21, 10-21 to Xu Wen Jing.
India’s exit comes after a mixed group-stage performance, which included a narrow 2-3 loss to Denmark and a convincing 4-1 win over Ukraine. Despite showing resilience throughout the tournament, the team struggled to deliver under pressure against elite opposition.
The spotlight now shifts to the men’s team at the Thomas Cup, where India has already secured a quarterfinal berth. The 2022 champions will face China next in a crucial group-stage clash to determine the table topper.
For the women’s side, the defeat highlights both potential and areas for improvement, particularly in closing out tight matches against top-ranked opponents.
