PV Sindhu‘s impressive run came to an end at the China Open after the Indian badminton star suffered a tough second-round defeat to home favorite and world No. 4 Chen Yufei on Thursday.Sindhu lost 21-16, 20-22, 18-21 in a gripping contest that lasted nearly 90 minutes. The defeat came just days after she ended a long title drought by winning the Japan Open, arriving in China with renewed confidence.The opening game was closely contested, with Sindhu fighting back from 7-13 to level the score at 16-16 before winning five straight points to take the game 21-16.Chen responded in dramatic fashion in the second game. Sindhu looked poised to clinch the match after reaching 20-16, but the Tokyo Olympic champion saved four game points and claimed the game 22-20, forcing a decider.The decisive game was balanced for most of the contest, with both players matching each other point for point. At 17-17, however, Chen raised his level and won the crucial points to seal the match 21-18 and book his place in the quarterfinals.Despite the defeat, Sindhu showed encouraging form after her Japan Open triumph but was unable to overcome the former Olympic champion in one of the most important matches of the tournament.