Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu’s impressive run came to a halt on Saturday after she suffered a straight-game defeat to China’s Wang Zhiyi in the women’s singles semifinals of the season-opening Malaysia Open Super 1000.
The two-time Olympic medallist could not sustain the pressure against the world number two, committing too many unforced errors in a 16-21, 15-21 loss, which brought down curtains on India’s campaign in the tournament.
Playing her first tournament since recovering from a foot injury that had sidelined her since October last year, Sindhu also surrendered an 11-6 lead in the second game.
Sindhu started on an aggressive note, taking the fight to her higher-ranked opponent by hitting hard and using her reach to good effect. She unleashed her trademark cross-court smashes to surge to a 5-2 lead before Wang responded with deft touches to draw level through a string of points.
A few errors from the Chinese shuttler allowed Sindhu to edge ahead 9-7, but Wang once again clawed back to take a narrow one-point advantage at the mid-game interval as Sindhu faltered at the net.
Both players struggled to find length after the restart, with the scores locked at 13-13 and several points squandered at the backcourt. From 15-14, Wang stepped up the pressure with a barrage of attacking shots that cramped Sindhu, mixing them with well-judged lifts that floated just beyond reach.
Wang surged to 18-14, dropped a point in a fierce rally, then earned four game points before closing out the opener as Sindhu pushed wide.
The second game began with Sindhu falling behind 1-3 after committing two unforced errors, but she quickly regrouped, constructing rallies with authority to move ahead 6-3. Wang narrowed the gap briefly, yet Sindhu dominated the mid-phase by stretching her opponent to the corners with sharp angles, opening up an 11-6 lead at the interval.
Wang returned from the break with renewed intent, engaging in brisk rallies, but Sindhu countered with precise net play to stay in front at 13-9. However, Wang mounted another comeback as Sindhu sprayed shots wide and into the net, levelling the score at 13-13 before taking control.
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A sharp exchange at the net helped Wang open up a 16–13 lead. Sindhu then sent two shots long, and a backhand error at the net handed the Chinese shuttler five match points. The match was decided when Sindhu pushed another return wide, confirming Wang Zhiyi’s place in the final.
