'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
P.V. Sindhu’s dream of becoming the first Indian to reach final in BWF World Champions were crushed by world No.3 Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand, who won the match 21-10, 21-13 without breaking a sweat.
Coming into this match after a huge upset against World No.2 Wang Yihan and former world No.1 Wang Shixian, Sindhu started her match against the former World No.1 a bit slowly but gathered pace in her game after 10 minutes. Sindhu never looked threatening in her match, going down without much of a fight.
The Indian had beaten two Chinese players prior to this and it seemed to have taken a toll on her, with Intanon’s win a foregone conclusion by the end of the first set itself.
Sindhu nevertheless collected a bronze medal for her efforts, becoming the first Indian woman badminton player to win a medal at the World Championship.
