Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu overcame a sluggish start to defeat world No.7 Han Yue of China in a thrilling contest, progressing to the quarter-finals of
the Denmark Open Super 750 badminton tournament on Thursday.

Sindhu, a former world champion and currently ranked No. 18, won 18-21, 21-12, 21-16 in a second-round match that lasted 63 minutes.

This marks her first win over a top-10 player since defeating Han in the Malaysia Masters final in May.

With this victory, Sindhu, who is currently working with Anup Sridhar and Lee Hyun-il, extended her head-to-head record against Han to 7-1 in eight encounters.

A finalist in the 2015 edition, Sindhu is the lone surviving Indian in the fray.

Sindhu and Han started with short rallies, splitting the initial eight points but Sindhu conceded five straight points to fall behind.

She looked to extend the rallies to tire out her opponent, who had played a 79-minute opener on Wednesday.

This strategy seemed to work as the Indian managed to cut the deficit to 9-10 before Han delivered a precise on-the-line return. Han led 14-10 after the break, with Sindhu faltering in her aggressive approach. Han won the game with a cross-court shot.

Sindhu came out with positive intent, going up 3-0 after the change of sides. At 4-3, she unleashed a thunderous smash on the return of serve, signalling her determination.

With a bit more pace in the rallies, Sindhu established a five-point advantage at the break, capitalizing on Han’s unforced errors.

The momentum shifted completely as Han struggled. Sindhu asserted her authority through a net kill to go up 15-7. She soon seized 10 game points and stretched the match to a decider.

In the third game Sindhu appeared more proactive and sealed victory when Han miscued a shot.