PV Sindhu aims to end Malaysia Masters title drought before Olympics

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu will lead India in the Malaysia Masters tournament, which begins on Tuesday. The former world champion will now focus on advancing far into the women’s singles draw of the BWF World Tour Super 500 event, having skipped the Uber Cup and the Thailand Open. Sindhu, 28, has struggled to get back to her best self since recovering from a knee injury she suffered in October last year. Sindhu won the Malaysia Masters titles in 2013 and 2016. In women’s singles, she is ranked fifth and will face Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour, ranked 22nd in the world, on Wednesday.

Having returned from injury at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in February, this will be the 28-year-old’s ninth tournament of the year. His last title win came at the 2022 Singapore Open.

In the women’s singles main draw, junior players Ashmita Chaliha, Unnati Hooda and Aakarshi Kashyap will compete alongside Sindhu.

HS Prannoy, winner of the men’s singles Malaysia Masters last year, will not defend his title this time. Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth withdrew. World number 36 player Kiran George will lead the Indian men’s singles team in his absence.

The top two players in the BWF men’s doubles world rankings, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and India’s Chirag Shetty, who won the 2024 Thailand Open last week, will also be absent from this competition.

The only Indian pair competing in men’s doubles in Malaysia is Krishna Prasad Garaga-Sai Pratheek K.