P.V. Sindhu stuns World No. 2, guarantees medal at Badminton World Championships

P.V. Sindhu

It was yet another miraculous win by the Indian badminton teenage sensation P.V Sindhu in the quarterfinals of the World Championships.

Sindhu, who stunned the world no. 5 Korean shuttler yesterday, caused another upset as she defeated the world no. 2 Chinese shuttler Wang Shixian 19-21 21-19 21-15 in a marathon match, which lasted for an hour and 25 minutes.

The 19-year-old from Hyderabad had a win-loss record of 3-2 against the higher ranked Chinese opponent going into the match. She started off on a positive note as she took a strong seven-point lead at the mid game interval of the opening game. Trailing by 11-15 in the first game, Wang made a strong comeback as she grabbed the next four points in a row to level the scores. Wang took advantage of the momentum and clinched the opening game.

The second game was a bit of a rollercoaster for both the players as the lead was changing end after every few moments. From eight-all, Wang reeled off next three points in quick succession to take a three-point advantage at the mid game interval of the second game. Wang was sailing smoothly towards the end line, as she was getting better of Sindhu in the longer rallies. Wang was just five points away from making her way to the semifinals, when Sindhu put on a remarkable fight and won 8 points in a row to take the scoreline to 20-16.

Wang however, fought her way back into the game as she won the next three points in a row to shorten the lead, but the Indian teenager was in no mood to make the game any more interesting as she grabbed the next point to seal the second game. Both the players started to hit some tired looking shots in the decider as errors started to flow from both ends. From 15-a-piece, Sindhu reeled the next six points to draw curtains on the challenge of the Chinese shuttler.

With this win P. V. Sindhu became the first Indian ever to win multiple World Championship medals. Sindhu won the bronze in the 2013 edition of the World Championships. Sindhu will play the winner of the match between Carolina Marin and Tzu Ying Tai in the semifinals tomorrow.

Earlier in the day, star Indian shuttler and Olympic bronze medalist Saina Nehwal lost to the reigning Olympic champion and World No. 1 Li Xuerui of China 15-21 15-21 in the quarters.