Arctic Open 2023: PV Sindhu crashes out in semifinals

After a little more than an hour of action at the 2023 Arctic Open, PV Sindhu lost out to China's 5th seed Wang Zhi Yi in the semifinals.

The Indian started this tournament looking strong, taking down her old nemesis Nozomi Okuhara in straight sets. Sindhu had a difficult match against Vietnam's Thuy Linh Nguyen yesterday in her quarterfinals, but eventually scraped through.

Going into today's match, PV Sindhu led the head-to-head between her and Yi 2-0 and fans were hoping she'd keep the winning streak going.

Sindhu had a strong start in her semis at the Arctic Open, jumping to a lead in the initial stage. Unfortunately, the Chinese upped her speed and made a comeback to walk away with a comfortable 21-12 win in the first game.

The second game was Sindhu's time to shine as the Indian took control of the pace and dictated the rallies. Reversing the score of the first game, Sindhu forced a decider after a 21-11 game win.

The third game began the same way as the first, with Sindhu in the lead, albeit by a single point. However, things quickly went downhill from there.

Wang Zhi Yi dominated the court, and it looked like there was little the Hyderabadi shuttler could do to salvage the game. Sindhu eventually lost 21-7, bringing an end to her journey in Finland.

Arctic Open 2023: PV Sindhu fails to return to top form

This match was PV Sindhu's fourth semi-final of the year so far. While she made a final earlier in the year, she's also dealt with seven first-round exits.

2023 has been difficult for the Indian, as the former world champion has been unable to find her rhythm following a 5-month hiatus due to an injury.

While Sindhu displayed hints of her old self at the Arctic Open, fans will hope for a full-fledged comeback to form in the coming tournaments.