PV Sindhu's Quest for Sixth World Medal Ends in Quarters

Paris, Aug 29 (PTI): PV Sindhu, the Indian badminton ace and two-time Olympic medallist, saw her ambition for a sixth World Championships medal come to an end on Friday, following a gripping three-game quarterfinal battle against Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani.

Former world champion and five-time medallist, Sindhu aimed for a record-setting sixth podium finish. However, her efforts were thwarted in a tense 14-21, 21-13, 16-21 encounter with the ninth-seeded Wardani, lasting 64 minutes.

In other matches, India's mixed doubles team, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, were eliminated earlier in the day, losing to the Malaysian duo Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei with scores of 15-21, 13-21. This defeat extinguished India's aspiration for a maiden mixed doubles medal at the World Championships.

With a decorated past including a medal at her World Championship debut in Guangzhou in 2013, followed by a bronze in Copenhagen the next year, and runner-up finishes in Glasgow (2017) and Nanjing (2018), Sindhu made history with her gold in Basel in 2019. She remains the only Indian to achieve Olympic medals at consecutive Games, securing a silver in Rio 2016 and a bronze at Tokyo 2020. Despite clinching the 2022 Commonwealth Games title, Sindhu has faced challenges since, with injuries, a drop in rankings, and coaching changes impacting her performance leading up to the Paris Olympics, where her hopes for a third Olympic medal were cut short.

Under the guidance of Indonesian coach Muhammad Irwansyah, Sindhu continues to strive for consistency on the tour. Yet, results have been elusive, as seen in her latest encounter against Wardani, with whom Sindhu had an even 2-2 career record prior to their match. Closing out crucial points proved challenging for Sindhu, while Wardani, 23, showcased poise under pressure to secure her maiden World Championships medal.

In the opening game, Wardani displayed superior sharpness, utilizing angles and smashes to keep Sindhu on the back foot. Although they were evenly matched at 3-3, Sindhu's errors allowed the Indonesian to claim control, leading 11-7 at the mid-game interval, eventually taking the first game 21-14.

Sindhu rebounded strongly in the second game, sharpening her net play and unleashing powerful smashes to surge ahead from 4-2, eventually dominating to win 21-13.

In the decider, a 0-3 deficit didn't deter Sindhu as she fought back to 3-3 with aggressive play. The game remained tense, as rallies like a remarkable 59-shot exchange showcased Wardani's endurance and Sindhu’s attacking prowess.

The momentum swung between the two competitors, but Wardani managed to maintain composure, earning crucial points and leading into the interval up by two. Post-interval, both players exchanged points, but Wardani’s tactical finesse and Sindhu's critical errors, including a net touch penalty and misjudged shots, tipped the scales in the Indonesian's favor. Wardani secured the match with four match points, marking a narrow yet decisive victory.