Badminton is the fastest racquet sport in the world. And just like any other sport, so many healthy rivalries exists in badminton too. Lee Chong Wei vs Lin Dan, Taufik Hidayat vs Peter Gade or Taufik Hidayat vs Lin Dan -- these are some of the best rivalries that badminton has witnessed till date.
When we talk about badminton in India, Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu are two names that jump in our head in the first place. Both these players have taken Indian badminton to new heights. If Saina is the first Indian player to make the World Championships final, then Sindhu is the only female player in India to have won an Olympics silver. Rivalry between these two players, on and off the court, always keeps fans intrigued.
But how these players have fared against the top 10 players in the world is something that matters the most. Here is a complete list of their head-to-head records against the current top 10 players in the world :
Saina vs Top 10 H2H
1.Tai Tzu Ying 5-14
2. Akane Yamaguchi 2-7
3. Chen Yufei 1-2
4. Carolina Marin 5-5
5. Nozomi Okuhara 8-4
6. P V Sindhu 3-1
7. He Bing Jiao 0-0
8. Ratchanok Intanon 11-5
9. Sung Ji hyun 8-3
Sindhu vs Top 10 H2H
1. Tai Tzu Ying 3-10
2. Akane Yamaguchi 9-4
3.Chen Yufei 4-3
4. Carolina Marin 5-7
5. Nozomi Okuhara 7-6
6. He Bing Jiao 5-8
7. Ratchanok Intanon 3-4
8. Saina Nehwal 1-3
9. Sung Ji Hyun 8-6
Their head-to-head records clearly show that both the players have failed to decode Tai Tzu Ying's game in recent times. Carolina Marin is another big threat to the title-winning chances of both these players .
There is no doubt that only few years of good badminton are left in Saina Nehwal. But 23-year-old Sindhu has got both age and skills to achieve what has only been a dream for Indian badminton. As compared to Saina, Sindhu's head-to-head record might look a little shaky against the top 10 players but it clearly shows that she is capable of beating any of these players on her day .
Well, it is upon fans and badminton pundits to decide, who they think is better against the rest of the world. All we can say is that this healthy rivalry has made India shine at the international level. And we will hope for more such rivalries to come in Indian badminton so that India can become a powerhouse in the badminton world.
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