PV Sindhu bows out to world No 2 Wang in Malaysia Open semis, ending Indian campaign
PV Sindhu's run at the Malaysian Open Super 1000 ended in the semifinals against Wang Zhiyi.
PV Sindhu's run at the Malaysian Open Super 1000 ended in the semifinals against Wang Zhiyi.
PV Sindhu's run at the Malaysian Open Super 1000 ended in the semifinals against Wang Zhiyi.
After an impressive run in the Malaysian Open Super 1000 following her recovery from a foot injury, PV Sindhu lost to China's Wang Zhiyi in the women's singles semifinals on Saturday, ending India's campaign in the season-opening tournament.
The two-time Olympic medallist could not sustain the pressure against the world number two, committing too many unforced errors in a 16-21, 15-21 loss. Playing her first tournament since October after a foot injury had kept her on the sidelines, Sindhu also let slip an 11-6 lead in the second game.
Sindhu began strongly, using her power and reach to race to a 5-2 lead with trademark cross-court smashes before Wang's deft touch helped her level the score. The game stayed tight until Wang pulled away to 18-14, earned four game points and closed it out as Sindhu hit wide.
In the second game, Sindhu recovered from an early 1-3 deficit to lead 6-3 and then dominated the mid-phase to take an 11-6 advantage. Wang fought back to make it 13-13, then moved ahead 16-13 after a sharp net exchange. A series of errors from Sindhu handed Wang five match points, and the Chinese player sealed her spot in the final when Sindhu sent another shot wide.