Korea Open: PV Sindhu set to equal career-best world ranking after title win

Indian shuttle queen PV Sindhu’s stupendous title win at the Korea Open Superseries in Seoul on Sunday will also make a positive impact in her world rankings. The 22-year-old is all set to climb back to her career-best ranking of No. 2 when the new BWF World Rankings are released on September 21, 2017.

The lanky Hyderabadi, who is currently placed at fourth, gained a staggering 9200 points by dint of her 22-20, 11-21, 21-18 triumph over the world champion Nozomi Okuhara as she had not participated in this tournament last year. Following the deduction of her lowest score of 5040 points in the 52-week ranking system, the Pullela Gopichand protégé will have 81106 points, which is way more than her current tally of 76946. It will help her jump to the second position, overtaking the 2016 champion Akane Yamaguchi and the 2016 runner-up Sung Ji Hyun.

The Rio Olympic silver medallist had first ascended to No. 2 in April after winning the India Open Superseries title.

Yamaguchi, meanwhile, was ousted by Okuhara in the semi-finals and her points tally will only be 74869 with the addition of 6420 she got from Korea Open this year, hurtling her down two rungs to fourth.

Sung bowed out in the quarter-finals after a marathon match with the Chinese sixth seed He Bingjiao. The Korean will get 5040 points from her home Superseries tournament. Since it is lesser than the 6420 she grabbed at the Singapore Open Superseries thanks to a semi-final appearance, her Singapore points will be considered which will keep her static at the third position with a total of 76175.

Okuhara to be back inside top 8

The new rankings will also bring about a big change for the player whom Sindhu defeated in the final -- Nozomi Okuhara. The world champion currently has 60437 which has placed her at ninth. Following the deduction of her lowest score of 2660 from the 52-week ranking period, the Japanese will have 65577 when the 7800 points from the Korea Open get added. It will bring her back to the top eight.

Okuhara, who won the All England Championships title in 2016, has been a former World No. 3 shuttler. A shoulder injury towards the end of the 2016 season was responsible for keeping her out of action and the 22-year-old is now making her way back to the top echelons.