India’s star badminton player PV Sindhu exits Malaysia Open after semifinal loss to Chinese opponent

Kuala Lumpur (The Uttam Hindu): India’s star shuttler PV Sindhu bowed out of the Malaysia Open after losing in the semifinal on Saturday. Sindhu was defeated by world number two Wang Zhiyi of China in straight games, 16-21, 15-21. Playing her first tournament after recovering from a leg injury, Sindhu struggled to maintain pressure against the two-time Olympic medallist and saw her campaign end at the last-four stage.

Sindhu started the match with strong intent, using powerful strokes and her trademark cross-court smashes to take an early 5-2 lead. However, Wang’s soft touches and sharp placements helped her level the score. Sindhu was ahead 9-7 in the opening game, but the Chinese player staged a comeback and edged ahead by one point at the interval after Sindhu missed a net shot.

After the restart, the score remained close at 13-13. At 15-14, Wang increased the tempo with aggressive shots and moved ahead to 18-14. Although Sindhu won one long rally, Wang sealed four game points and closed the first game as Sindhu hit wide.

In the second game, Sindhu slipped to 1-3 after a couple of errors but recovered quickly to take a 6-3 lead with strong rallies. She continued to dominate the mid-phase by pushing Wang to the corners with sharp angles and led 11-6 at the break.

Wang responded strongly after the interval, engaging in fast-paced rallies. Sindhu countered with precise net shots and stayed ahead at 13-9. However, a series of unforced errors saw Sindhu concede ground as Wang drew level at 13-13. Wang then surged ahead to 16-13 and maintained control to clinch the match and book her place in the final.