PV Sindhu Sets Remarkable Milestone At China Open, Records Quickest Smash
World No. 15 PV Sindhu marked the fastest smash at the China Open among women’s singles participants, clocking an incredible 397.2 kph.
Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, who has been struggling recently with no championship wins over the past seven months, finally has a reason to celebrate. At the China Open last week, she recorded the fastest smash among women’s singles players—an astounding 397.2 kilometers per hour.
Entering the match against fellow Indian Unnati Hooda, Sindhu was riding high after a convincing win over Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki, but she was ultimately outmatched by Unnati’s agility, accuracy, and tireless energy, resulting in a second-round exit.
This marks the first instance in seven years that Sindhu has lost to another Indian player on the global stage, the last being her loss to Saina Nehwal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games final. She had also been defeated by Saina at the 2019 National Championships final.
Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan is positioned second on the fastest smash chart with a strike of 388.8 kph, while Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour ranks third at 368.2 kph. Interestingly, tournament winner Wang Zhiyi does not appear in the top 10 list.
In the men’s doubles category, top Indian badminton star Satwiksairaj Rankireddy hit a smash at 436.2 kph, which is well below his own world record of 565 kph. He and his partner Chirag Shetty reached the semifinals but fell short against their long-time rivals Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, losing in straight games.
The Indian duo once again struggled against Chia and Soh, who have consistently been a tough obstacle. Satwik and Chirag lost 13-21, 17-21 to the 2022 World Champions and two-time Olympic bronze medalists.
This was the 14th clash between the two teams, with the Malaysian pair leading the head-to-head 10-3.
In men’s doubles, South Korea’s Kim Won-ho leads the list with two smashes clocked at 461.6 kph and 455.6 kph, followed by Chia’s 454.2 kph at third.
No Indian player appears on the list of fastest smashes in the men’s singles, women’s doubles, or mixed doubles divisions.
