World Badminton Championships 2018: PV Sindhu vs Carolina Marin final schedule, telecast, live streaming, date, time and where to watch online

It's PV Sindhu (left) vs Carolina Marin again!

(3) PV Sindhu (WR #3) vs (7) Carolina Marin (WR #8)

Head-to-head: Marin leads 6-5

Last meeting: Sindhu def Marin 22-20, 21-19 at the 2018 Malaysia Open quarter-finals

Last meeting at the World Championships: Marin def Sindhu 21-17, 21-15 at the 2014 World Championships semi-finals

Last meeting in a final: Sindhu def Marin 21-19, 21-16 at the 2017 India Open

The 2018 World Championships is seeing the resurgence of two women's singles players and, interestingly, they are to cross each other's paths in the final at Nanjing, China on Sunday. In a few ways, PV Sindhu and Carolina Marin's 2018 seasons have shaped up in a similar manner.

Both of them are searching for their first title of the year. Both of them had been struggling on the BWF World Tour in 2018, by their lofty standards. And both of them suddenly look rejuvenated and hungry at this tournament, and have been showing a spark that went missing in the first half of the season.

In all fairness, Sindhu's season has panned out slightly better than that of the Rio Olympic champion, even though both of them are still title-less on the BWF circuit. The 23-year-old did reach a couple of finals heading into this tournament, unlike the Spaniard, who couldn't manage even that. However, Sindhu couldn't make any use of her opportunities both times.

If at the India Open she was close against Beiwen Zhang, she looked a very timid and diffident version of herself against Nozomi Okuhara at the Thailand Open final just last month.

And that is what she has been able to change in less than a month. That straight-games capitulation to Okuhara, where Sindhu looked so weary and slow-footed, was surely a wake-up call. She definitely invested all her energy and efforts into getting herself fitter again ahead of the World Championships.

That is what has been evident in each of her matches so far at Nanjing, especially against the two Japanese -- Akane Yamaguchi and Okuhara. Both are fond of playing long matches to eventually tire out the tall Sindhu.

But the Rio Olympic silver medallist simply did not buckle under pressure this time. So many times, she came out on top of the rallies against both of them, thus validating a highly improved defence, which has also elevated her confidence level.

That is why, the slow starts haven't been successful in bothering her. A calm and patient Sindhu has worked her way back each time she has fallen behind, something that is reflected in the fact that she hasn't dropped any game so far on her way to the summit clash.

The self-belief has been way higher for the Indian all throughout the tournament. But now comes a different challenge altogether.

Sindhu did defeat the Spaniard in their last meeting just a little over a month ago. However, there is a wide difference between the Marin, who showed up in Malaysia, and the Marin, who is now looking for her third World Championships gold.

Three years after winning the second of her two gold medals, the southpaw is back again at another final at this event. And that itself says a lot.

The months since the Rio Olympics haven't been the best for the former World No. 1. A series of injuries struck her and robbed her of her invincibility. Marin was reduced to just a challenger from the champion she once was, as corroborated by her current eighth ranking, a pretty low ranking for someone of her stature.

Marin hasn't featured in a final on the BWF circuit since triumphing at the Japan Open 11 months ago.

The turnaround in China clearly indicates that the 25-year-old is healthy and bubbling with a lot of energy and positivity now. If anything, her quarter-final victory over Saina Nehwal suggested that the once-best player of the world is well and truly back.

The 21-6, 21-11 rout of the Indian was utter and pure destruction that had her trademark aggressive shots and her inimitable screams, which are signs of a dangerous Carolina. The pace is right up there, just like it was when she got hold of her last gold medal at this tournament in 2015.

This Marin is very much the Marin of yore. Now whether her renewed passion in her game will be enough to dwarf Sindhu, who herself seems to be back on track, remains to be seen.

One thing all badminton aficionados can be sure of. With both ladies having staged a much-needed revival and with both of them being eminent practitioners of the attacking game, there will be a lot of fireworks on display on Sunday.