Double Olympic medallist and former world champion P.V. Sindhu overcame sixth seed Tomoka Miyazaki of Japan 21-15, 8-21, 21-17 to reach the round of 16 at the China Open Super 1000 event on Wednesday.
Sindhu started strongly, reeling off seven consecutive points to lead 13-5 in the opening game before sealing it comfortably.
In the second game, Miyazaki fought back brilliantly, taking nine points in a row to lead 12-8 before restoring parity.
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Sindhu regained control in the decider, maintaining a steady lead to close out the contest and secure a hard-fought win in 62 minutes.
Currently ranked 15th in the world, Sindhu was facing the 18-year-old world No. 6 Miyazaki for the second time, having lost to the Japanese youngster at the Swiss Open last year.
Last week, Sindhu had suffered a first-round exit at the Super 750 Japan Open, losing 15-21, 14-21 to Korea’s Sim Yu Jin—her fifth first-round defeat this year.
The Indian ace is hoping to bounce back from a string of early exits this season, which includes first or second-round losses at the Indonesia Open, Singapore Open, Malaysia Masters, Asian Championships, Swiss Open, All England Open and Indonesia Masters.
