PV Sindhu claims Unnati Hooda was ‘lucky’ in China Open RO16 win

Double Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu said her opponent, Unnati Hooda, was ‘lucky’ in her three-set win at the China Open on Thursday.

The 17-year-old beat Sindhu 21-16, 19-21, 21-13 in an hour and 13 minutes to seal a quarterfinal clash with third-seeded Japanese Akane Yamaguchi.

“She [Unnati] took a lead in the third game and maintained that. It was too late to cover that. Overall, there were good rallies and she was lucky,” Sindhu said.

“Both ends had their challenges. It was hard to control the shuttle. She had some lucky points, where in crucial moments she hit the net cords,” she added.

The veteran shuttler, however, was quick to praise the young star for her meteoric rise, terming it a ‘good sign’ for Indian badminton.

“She [Unnati] has done well for herself. She is coming up [the ranks] and I wish her all the very best. Indian badminton is picking up and doing well and many more girls like her is coming up. It’s a good sign,” she said.