Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu’s impressive run came to an end after a straight-game defeat to China’s Wang Zhiyi in the women’s singles semifinals of the season-opening Malaysia Open Super 1000 here on Saturday.
The two-time Olympic medallist could not sustain the pressure against the world number two, committing too many unforced errors in a 16-21, 15-21 loss.
Playing her first tournament after recovering from a foot injury that kept her on the sidelines since October last year, Sindhu also let slip an 11-6 lead in the second game.
The loss also brought down curtains on India’s campaign in the tournament.
Sindhu took the fight to her higher-ranked opponent early, hitting hard and using her reach effectively.
She produced her trademark cross-court smashes to race to a 5-2 lead before Wang’s subtle touch helped her draw level with a run of points.
A few misses from Wang allowed Sindhu to edge ahead 9-7 but the Chinese player clawed back once again to take a slender one-point lead at the interval as Sindhu faltered at the net.
Both players struggled for length after the restart with the scores locked at 13-13 and several points squandered at the backline.
From 15-14, Wang upped the pressure with relentless attacking shots that cramped Sindhu, mixing them with well-judged lifts that floated just beyond reach.
She surged to 18-14, conceded one point in a fierce rally, then earned four game points and closed out the opener as Sindhu went wide.
The second game saw Sindhu slip to 1-3 after two unforced errors but she regrouped quickly, constructing rallies with authority to move ahead 6-3.
Wang steadied herself to narrow the gap, yet Sindhu dominated the mid-phase by pushing her opponent to the corners with sharp angles, opening up an 11-6 lead at the break.
Wang came out firing after the resumption, engaging in brisk rallies but Sindhu countered with near-perfect net shots to stay ahead at 13-9.
Once again, Wang fought back as Sindhu sprayed shots wide and into the net, drawing level at 13-13 before seizing the initiative.
A deft net exchange gave the Chinese player a 16-13 cushion.
Sindhu then missed the backline twice and a backhand net error handed Wang five match points.
The contest ended when Sindhu pushed another shot wide, sealing Wang’s place in the final.
