Badminton

PV Sindhu's long-awaited return to a final has been secured after a hard-fought victory in the semi-finals of the Malaysia Masters. The two-time Olympic medalist overcame a slow start to defeat Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan in a marathon match that lasted over an hour.Despite having a 17-1 record against Ongbamrungphan, Sindhu struggled initially, losing the first game 13-21. However, she regained her composure in the second game, keeping the shuttle in play and avoiding risky shots. The momentum shifted in Sindhu's favor in the third game, as she raced to an 8-2 lead. Ongbamrungphan's errors and fatigue became evident as the match progressed.Sindhu's determination was evident in her loud screams of exultation as she approached victory. She expressed her satisfaction with her performance, noting that she had not reached a final since the 2023 Spain Masters."I am playing her after a very long time. She is playing a very good game. There were really long rallies and both of us didn't give up till the last minute. I was just keeping the shuttle in court however long the rallies went. Every point was important for both of us," Sindhu said.In the final, Sindhu will face Chinese second seed Wang Zhi Yi, against whom she holds a 2-1 record. Sindhu acknowledged the challenge ahead, emphasizing the importance of strategy and execution."She is in the top 10. It is not going to be easy. Result is secondary, what matters is how I play against her, how I keep the shuttle in court, the strategy I use. I am sure she must have seen my match. I am happy to be in a final but it is not over yet. There is still a match to go," Sindhu said.Sindhu's victory marks a significant milestone in her preparation for the upcoming Olympics. She expressed confidence in her ability to perform well and is eager to continue building momentum.

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.

Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu overcame a spirited challenge from Korea's Sim Yu Jin to advance to the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Masters Super 500 badminton tournament on Thursday. The former world champion, seeded fifth, prevailed in a hard-fought three-game battle, 21-13, 12-21, 21-14, in a match that lasted 59 minutes.Sindhu, who has been struggling to regain her top form since returning from a knee injury last year, faced an early deficit in the opening game. However, she rallied back to take a narrow 11-10 lead at the break. The Indian shuttler then dominated the latter half of the game, winning seven consecutive points to secure the first game.The second game was a more closely contested affair, with both players trading blows. Han managed to take a one-point advantage at the interval and maintained her momentum after the resumption. The Korean surged ahead 14-10 and went on to win seven of the next nine points to level the match.In the decider, Sim once again started strongly, moving to a 5-1 lead. But Sindhu refused to give up and clawed back to level the score at 6-6. The Korean regained a slight advantage at 9-8, but Sindhu seized control and surged ahead 13-9. A five-point burst from 16-14 sealed the victory for the Indian.Sindhu will now face top seed Han Yue in the quarterfinals, a rematch of their encounter at the Asia Badminton Championships last month, which Han won. Sindhu holds a 5-1 head-to-head record against Han, who is now ranked world number 6.In other results from the tournament, the mixed doubles pair of B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy lost 9-21, 15-21 to top-seeded Malaysian pair of Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei. In women's doubles, Simran Singhi and Ritika Thaker went down 17-21, 11-21 to second-seeded Malaysians Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.

PV Sindhu, India's two-time Olympic medalist, will lead the Indian contingent at the Malaysia Masters tournament, which commences on Tuesday. The tournament serves as a crucial preparation for the upcoming Olympics in Paris.Sindhu, a former world champion, will be aiming to make a deep run in the women's singles draw of the BWF World Tour Super 500 event. She has skipped the Uber Cup and Thailand Open to focus on this tournament.The 28-year-old has faced challenges in regaining her top form since recovering from a knee injury in October 2022. However, she has previously won the Malaysia Masters titles in 2013 and 2016. Sindhu is currently ranked fifth in the world and will face Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour, ranked 22nd, in her opening match on Wednesday.Sindhu's return from injury at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in February marked her ninth tournament of the year. Her last title victory came at the 2022 Singapore Open.Joining Sindhu in the women's singles main draw are junior players Ashmita Chaliha, Unnati Hooda, and Aakarshi Kashyap.In the men's singles, HS Prannoy, the defending champion, will not be present to defend his title. Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth have also withdrawn. In their absence, Kiran George, ranked 36th in the world, will lead the Indian challenge.India's top-ranked men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who won the Thailand Open 2024 last week, will also be absent from the competition. The lone Indian pair competing in the men's doubles in Malaysia is Krishna Prasad Garaga-Sai Pratheek K.

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.