That was a masterclass performance from the Indian against a very talented rising star.
Sindhu could face the China Open champion Akane Yamaguchi in the quarter-finals. She definitely needed this kind of a display before taking on the in-form Japanese.
Good morning and welcome to the Sportskeeda liveblog of the 2017 Hong Kong Open second round. Second seeded PV Sindhu takes on Aya Ohori of Japan for a place in the quarter-finals.
While the 2016 Hong Kong Open runner-up Sindhu is ranked No. 2 in the world, Ohori is placed at 13th. They have met twice and Sindhu has a 2-0 head-to-head record against the Japanese with her most recent win coming at the Badminton Asia Championships in April.
Sindhu won both encounters with Ohori in straight games. Even though her record is good against the 21-year-old, Sindhu cannot afford to take her lightly. Ohori has been touted to be one of the most promising talent from Japan.
She proved it by winning the China Masters and the US Open this season. Ohori certainly has the game and the hunger to do well in the elite events.
Sindhu, on her part, played a brilliant match in her opening round against Leung Yuet Yee of Hong Kong. Yee made it very tough in the first game but Sindhu edged her in the opener and then raced through the second to register a 21-18, 21-10 win.
That must have boosted her confidence by miles as she seeks her lost spark before she takes on the world's best at the Dubai World Superseries Finals in December.