Indian star PV Sindhu’s wait for a much-needed title extended further when she faltered at the finish line, falling three games short of the world no. 7 China’s Wang Zhi Yi at the summit clash in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. Fifth seed Sindhu, a double Olympic medalist, last won the Singapore Open and Commonwealth Games in 2022 and finished runner-up at the Madrid Spain Masters in 2023. The title here seemed within reach when the world number. 15 Sindhu held a huge 11-3 lead in the decider after winning the opening game, but the former world champion imploded after the final change of sides to lose 21-16, 5-21, 16-21 in a final 79-minute women’s singles.
The title would have been the icing on the cake, but her impressive run to the final will still give her plenty of confidence as Sindhu looks to put the finishing touches ahead of the Paris Olympics. It was his first BWF world tour final after over a year.
Double Olympic medalist Sindhu used a combination of balance and power to dominate proceedings against reigning Asian champion Wang for most of the match, but it all fell apart after the break in the decider when the $420,000 crown slipped from her hands. hands. .
` Silver and bronze medalist in the last two editions of the Olympics, Sindhu lost to Wang in the Arctic Open last year, but defeated the Chinese twice in three meetings.
Interestingly, it was against Wang that Sindhu won the finals during her last BWF title at the Singapore Open.
On Sunday, Sindhu led 11-3 at half-time in the third game but fell into a series of errors after the team change as Wang won 18 of the next 23 points to seal the trophy in her name.
World number 15 Sindhu, who will be seeking her third Olympic medal at the Paris Games, has looked depressed since recovering from a knee injury earlier this season.
It has been some time since Sindhu defeated big names like Carolina Marin, Tai Tzu Ying, Chen Yu Fei and Akane Yamaguchi – who she is expected to meet at the Paris Olympics.
But the 28-year-old from Hyderabad, who now trains at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru, looked in good form this week, but defeat to Wang from a winning position is something she will have to face in the coming months.
Sindhu will next compete in the Singapore Open super 750 tournament, starting on Tuesday.
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