PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, suffered a defeat in the women’s singles quarterfinals of the Australia Open today in Sydney, losing in straight games to USA’s world number 12, Beiwen Zhang. Sindhu’s form has become a significant cause of concern as the World Championships approach, scheduled to begin on August 21 in Copenhagen.
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PV Sindhu knocked out
In their first encounter since 2020, Beiwen Zhang displayed dominance over PV Sindhu, quickly claiming the first game. Throughout the match, the American shuttler controlled the net and kept Sindhu under pressure. Despite attempting to stage a comeback in the second game with a better performance, the Indian player couldn’t capitalize on crucial moments, highlighting her lack of confidence. The score was tied at 16-16, but Zhang, the World No. 12, surged ahead and secured her spot in the semi-finals of the Super 500 tournament.
PV Sindhu, who now stands at world number 17 due to a series of early exits, aimed to reach her fourth semifinal of the season in the USD 420,000 super 500 tournament. However, she faced a tough challenge in taming Zhang, losing 12-21 17-21 in 39 minutes. In their ten previous encounters, Sindhu had emerged victorious six times against her opponent. Nevertheless, on Friday, the 33-year-old Chinese-born American, Zhang, exhibited superior control and emerged triumphant.
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PV Sindhu struggling with the rough patch
Since her recovery from an injury, PV Sindhu, the 2019 world champion, has been facing a difficult period with repeated early exits in seven out of the 12 BWF World Tour events in 2023. Earlier, Sindhu had ended her association with Korea’s Park Tae-Sang and briefly collaborated with SAI coach Vidhi Chaudhary. Presently, she is undergoing training under the guidance of her new coach, Muhammad Hafiz Hashim, the 2003 All England champion. Throughout the year, she faced early exits in seven tournaments, including the Japan Open in July, where China’s Zhang Yi Man defeated her. Unfortunately, her poor run persisted with another first-round elimination at the Korea Open.
Meanwhile, in the Australian Open, India boasts three more representatives in the competition. In an all-Indian men’s singles quarter-final clash, Kidambi Srikanth is set to face the up-and-coming star Priyanshu Rajawat. On the other side of the bracket, the 6th seed HS Prannoy will battle against the top-seeded Anthony Ginting, vying for a place in the men’s singles semi-final.
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