BWF World Championships: World No. 2 Is Defeated By Sindhu

Here comes PV Sindhu with her game that takes down the Chinese. She’s on point, no mistakes at all.

The ‘Sindhu from Yindu’ curse on the Chinese women’s singles just won’t let up, and on Thursday in Paris, World No.2 Wang Zhi Yi was completely thrown off and struggling against the fierce attack and intensity that Sindhu unleashed in a stunning 21-19, 21-15 victory.

Sindhu has to take down the Indonesian dynamo Putri Kusuma Wardani this Friday in the quarterfinals to secure her sixth World Championship medal and surpass the legendary Zhang Ning from China, who has five medals, including two golds.

Carolina Marin has three World titles, but no one has ever achieved six medals at the Worlds before.

Twelve years after her first win in Guangzhou, she still had that unstoppable power game, an attack that can’t be controlled, a way of playing that defies the usual logic of form, rankings, and reputations.

With a few tweaks to her game, she was sure to unleash her original style against Wang Zhi Yi too – the rankings didn’t matter.

On Thursday, Sindhu confronted every weakness that had held her back and emerged victorious.

Zhi Yi must have felt the pressure closing in on her. Unlike the first two matches (it’s almost a tradition for Sindhu to start World Championship games slowly),Sindhu shot ahead to an 11-6 lead. It’s not that winning in three sets is lame, but for someone with Sindhu’s strength, it’s just not needed when she can finish it in two.

The game was straightforward. She powered her smash, drove it deep into the court, hitting it straight without doubting whether Zhi Yi would go after it. This is how World No.1 An Se-young has triumphed over the Chinese.

Sindhu played with freedom, unburdened by expectations, confident that her fitness would support her, and she unleashed a flurry of winners down the middle lane. There was no flirting with the lines, as she took calculated risks with precision that could go either way.

Even when she played cross court – the angles were distinctly Irwansyah. Sindhu seemed just one shot away from clinching the winner, but without the urgency of lunging for smashes.

She let her power flow naturally, avoiding the reckless speed that had plagued her earlier.

As a result, Sindhu was able to build points and pick her moments to strike decisively. Her defense remained solid, and like in the first two matches, her intensity was just right from point 17 onward.

Sindhu was ahead 16-14 but fell behind 17-19 as Zhi Yi threw everything at her. However, her shoulders didn’t sag. Sindhu maintained her composure and kept her attack sharp, refusing to back down, ultimately taking the first game.

Reducing errors was as easy as ignoring what her opponent was doing.

With the first set secured, she felt too confident to take a step back. Still holding a 10-6 lead in the second set, she let Zhi Yi get a glimpse of hope at 12-10.

A bit slow to return to her base on defense and react, she became vulnerable during long rallies – not due to fatigue, but because of that familiar expectation that the shuttle would go long.

No worries, she managed to regroup and keep the pressure on Zhi Yi, making her fearful of that smash, with her futile dives only boosting Sindhu’s confidence.

However, it was in the finishing touches that the former World champion demonstrated why she can unsettle the Chinese player.

Sindhu isn’t afraid of the net game, but her confidence can fluctuate, which might hinder her ability to stay calm in the front court.

Not today, though. She kept her tumbles tight, and her height allowed her to play from a distance while forcing Zhi Yi to stay too close and risk making faults. This even earned Sindhu a point at 18-13.

But it was at 17-12 that Sindhu made it clear she intended to take control. Deflecting body attacks, she didn’t retreat from the mid-court, kept pushing forward, intercepted with her long reach at the net.That was the point that figuratively broke the camel’s back.

The Chinese coach could hardly believe his eyes. Meanwhile, Sindhu leveraged all her experience to prevent Zhi Yi from taking a breather.

The Chinese player attempted to speed up her hand movements, a tactic Sindhu often employs, but it was a misguided approach from the start.Sindhu held her ground firmly and remained bold at the net.

One match point was saved, but Sindhu was right there at the net, dominating the scene and towering over the Chinese legend, making it clear to Zhi Yi that she was in trouble.

The final point was won at the net. Sindhu now realizes that a powerful smash can serve as a strategic tool.