PV Sindhu Reaches Malaysia Masters Semifinals, Defeats Han Yue

PV Sindhu's return to the badminton circuit has been a gradual process, but the two-time Olympic medalist is slowly regaining her form. After a four-month absence due to a left knee injury, Sindhu made her comeback in February and has since helped India win the Badminton Asia Team Championships. However, she has struggled against top players in individual tournaments, entering the $420,000 Malaysia Masters with an unimpressive 10-6 win-loss record.

But in Kuala Lumpur, Sindhu is beginning to find her groove. She defeated Chinese top seed Han Yue in the quarterfinals, her first semi-final appearance in seven months. The fifth-seeded Sindhu took 55 minutes to move past the world No. 6, 21-13, 14-21, 21-12. It was Sindhu's sixth victory in seven meetings over Han, who reached the final of the Thailand Open last week.

"The third game was crucial for both of us," Sindhu said. "From the first rally, I made sure I was in the game focused and didn't give away easy points. I was in control and I was confident of winning. I'm happy with how I played because I lost our last match. It's a shame as I was leading, but this is like a sweet revenge."

Sindhu will take on Thai Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the semifinals, against whom the Indian has an overwhelming 17-1 record. However, it was the end of the road for Ashmita Chaliha, who lost 10-21, 15-21 to Chinese sixth seed Zhang Yi Man.

Tags: #PV, Sindhu, #Badminton, #Malaysia, Masters