2017 champion PV Sindhu will continue her charge through the 2022 India Open when she takes on compatriot Ashmita Chaliha on Friday for a place in the semi-finals.
The young Assamese will be Sindhu's third Indian opponent in a row at this BWF Super 500 tournament, but is probably the most dangerous of the lot. The 22-year-old has been singled out as the most promising Indian young talent in women's singles for a few years now.
She already has a couple of titles at the BWF International Challenge/Series level as well as a prized gold medal at the South Asian Games. In 2019, Chaliha gave a thorough demonstration of her talent in the National Championships semi-finals, where she made Sindhu work hard for her 21-10, 22-20 win.
Sindhu will be fully aware of the prowess of her young rival. The left-hander's speed, range of attacking shots and deceptions make her a tricky opponent to face any day.
At the ongoing India Open, Chaliha made quite a statement on the opening day of the tournament with a 24-22, 21-16 upset of fifth seed Evgeniya Kosetskaya. She backed that up with a smooth 21-17, 21-14 win over France's World No. 71 Yaelle Hoyaux.
With the confidence gained from the two wins, Chaliha will hope to make an impression against Sindhu just like she did in their domestic face-off. However, beating the two-time Olympic medalist is likely to prove to be a tall order for the World No. 84. The top seed has so far been in cruise control in all of her matches, and could need some stopping.
Sindhu started her campaign with a 21-5, 21-16 drubbing of Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli before dispatching Ira Sharma 21-10, 21-10. It would take a herculean effort from the young Chaliha to upset Sindhu, but she has the game to stretch her much-fancied opponent.
India Open 2022: Match details
Fixture: (1) PV Sindhu vs Ashmita Chaliha.
Head-to-head: PV Sindhu and Ashmita Chaliha have never squared off on the tour before, so their head-to-head is currently tied at 0-0.
Date: January 14, 2021.
Time: Approx. 3 PM IST.
Tournament: Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2022.
Round: Quarter-finals.
Venue: New Delhi, India.
Category: HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500
When and where to watch PV Sindhu vs Ashmita Chaliha
The India Open quarter-final clash between PV Sindhu and Ashmita Chaliha will be telecast live on Sony Ten 1 SD & HD as well as Sony Liv.
The match can also be followed on the BWF website and Tournament Software, both of which will provide live scores. Moreover, the social media accounts of both BWF and the Badminton Association of India will provide updates of the match.