New Delhi: P.V. Sindhu’s pursuit of a record sixth World Championships medal came to a painful halt on Thursday as China’s Wang Zhi Yi prevailed 21-11, 15-21, 21-17 in a gripping Round-of-16 contest at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
The defeat also ended a remarkable streak for two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu at the global event. The Indian shuttler had beaten Chinese opponents on eight previous occasions at the World Championships, but Wang became the first to overcome her on this stage.
The opening game offered little indication of the drama to come. Both players were intent on avoiding cheap mistakes, forcing each other into long, patient exchanges. Wang found success by making Sindhu work around the front court, while the Indian repeatedly denied her opponent clean opportunities to unleash her attack.
Wang entered the interval 11-8 ahead. The contest then tilted sharply in her favour as Sindhu began to leak points through unforced errors and a misjudgement. Wang needed little invitation, using her accurate drops and attacking strokes to close out the game 21-11.
With the home crowd desperate for a response, Sindhu changed her approach in the second game. She began with greater patience and immediately established a four-point cushion as Wang struggled to maintain the same consistency. The Chinese shuttler tried to drag Sindhu into longer rallies, but the Indian countered with delicate dribbles and drops.
Even after Wang levelled the game at 15-15, Sindhu found another gear. She reeled off six points in succession, mixing winners with the pressure created by Wang’s errors, to force a decider.
Sindhu appeared in control again at the start of the third, moving 3-0 ahead and later opening up an 8-4 lead. Wang, however, refused to let the match slip. A run of three errors from Sindhu helped the Chinese player move ahead, although the Indian still held an 11-10 advantage at the interval.
The final stretch produced the contest’s most dramatic moment. At 16-16, Wang took a heavy fall and required a medical timeout. When play resumed, Sindhu was unable to regain her composure, committing four consecutive errors to hand Wang match point.
The Chinese player needed only one chance, producing a precise drop to seal the victory and bring Sindhu’s campaign to an abrupt end, and she managed to do that as the World No. 3 progressed to the quarterfinals.
Sindhu, meanwhile, shifts focus to the Asian Games.
(IANS)
