Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu’s bid for a record sixth World Championships medal came to an end on Thursday evening as China’s world No. 3 Wang Zhi Yi edged past her in an intense three-game battle at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
With the home crowd firmly behind her, Sindhu fought back after losing the opening game but could not maintain her momentum in the decider, eventually going down 11-21, 21-15, 17-21 in a match that lasted 88 minutes.
The atmosphere inside the arena was at its loudest when Sindhu walked on to court, shortly after Ayush Shetty’s heartbreaking defeat to Alwi Farhan. The crowd repeatedly chanted her name and cheered every point, hoping to see the former champion continue her run towards another World Championships medal.
Sindhu had reached the quarter-finals after beating Weng Yu Zhang 21-16, 21-17 in the Round of 32 and Ireland’s Sophia Noble 21-7, 21-11 in the opening round.
The first game was closely fought early on, with the score tied at 3-3 before Wang moved two points clear at 5-3. Sindhu stayed within touching distance, but the Chinese shuttler held an 11-9 advantage at the interval. Wang gradually extended her lead and wrapped up the first game 21-11 in 21 minutes.
Sindhu responded strongly in the second game. She raced to an 8-4 lead, but Wang began stretching the rallies and forced Sindhu into a series of errors. The Chinese player fought back to make it 11-11.
However, Sindhu refused to let the game slip. She continued to attack and opened a 15-12 lead, only for Wang to level again at 15-15.
During the second game, one of Wang’s smashes landed just wide. Sindhu did not initially take the review, but a fan sitting outside the court signalled to her to challenge. The review went in Sindhu’s favour, giving her an 18-15 lead. She then used the full court effectively and kept Wang under pressure to close out the game 21-15.
The decider began with Sindhu taking the first point, but Wang quickly established a 3-1 lead. Sindhu responded with aggressive attacking play and moved 7-3 ahead, forcing Wang onto the back foot.
But the world No. 3 slowly worked her way back. Three consecutive unforced errors from Sindhu helped Wang reduce the deficit to 7-8, and the game soon moved to 9-9. With the crowd roaring behind her, Sindhu held an 11-10 advantage at the change of ends.
She extended that lead to 13-10 after the break, but Wang immediately capitalised on a sudden dip in Sindhu’s rhythm. Two net errors and a shot wide allowed Wang to level at 13-13 before taking the lead at 14-13.
Sindhu fought back to make it 15-15 and then moved ahead 16-15. But after Wang levelled following a stunning Sindhu smash, the match took another dramatic turn.
Wang fell heavily while diving to save a shot and needed medical attention for her knee. After play resumed, Sindhu appeared to lose the momentum she had built. Wang moved 18-17 ahead, and as the rallies grew longer, the crowd that had been roaring throughout suddenly went quiet.
Wang eventually opened a 19-17 lead. Despite another spell of visible discomfort from the Chinese player, she held her nerve to finish the decider 21-17.
Reflecting on her loss, Sindhu said, “I don’t think she was injured. It was just a tactic, and I should have stayed patient.”
The post PV Sindhu’s Sixth World Championship Medal Dream Ends After Wang Zhi Yi Thriller appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
