PV Sindhu, India's badminton ace, returns to the international circuit at the Malaysia Masters tournament, seeking to regain her form and boost her confidence ahead of the Paris Olympics. After skipping the Uber Cup and Thailand Open, Sindhu aims to make a deep run in the women's singles draw of the BWF World Tour Super 500 event.
Sindhu, a former world champion and Olympic medalist, has struggled to regain her top form since recovering from a knee injury last year. Despite reaching the quarterfinals in two tournaments, she has endured a series of narrow losses. Her last title win came in the 2022 Singapore Open, and she came close to claiming the Spain Masters last year, reaching the finals.
With a new mentor in Prakash Padukone, Sindhu has shown glimpses of her menacing game but has lacked consistency in her shot selection. She will face Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour in her opening match, hoping to test her preparation against the next generation of players who have troubled her recently.
Other Indian women's singles players to watch include Ashmita Chaliha, Aakarshi Kashyap, and Malvika Bansod. Chaliha has played well against top players like Han Yue and Aya Ohori, pushing both to three games.
In men's singles, Kiran George is the lone Indian representative, facing Japan's Takuma Obayashi in his opening match. Krishna Prasad Garaga and Sai Pratheek K will compete in men's doubles, while B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy, along with Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath, will carry India's hopes in mixed doubles.
Tags: #PV, Sindhu, #Malaysia, Masters, #Badminton
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