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The past few days PV Sindhu, just 19, has been carrying the hopes of a nation on her slender shoulders. The disappointment of the team event, where India lost to Singapore in the bronze medal match, was still in the air and Sindhu was expected to rise from the dust to reclaim glory for the country with an individual medal.
Unfortunately for her and India though, Sindhu has met a nemesis in Glasgow who might haunt her for a while yet. Michelle Li, born in Hong Kong and raised in Canada, beat the top seeded Indian for a second time inside a week to crush her young opponent’s aspirations and sail into the finals. Li beat Sindhu over two tightly contested games 22-20, 22-20 to leave the teenager shattered with disappointment.
Shaky start for the Indian requires coaching team to rush to her aid
Perhaps the memory of the loss, still only five days old, had still not faded for the Indian star. She was quickly down 3-9 to the Canadian player, prompting the coaching team of Pullela Gopichand and Madhumita Bisht to abandon the Parupalli Kashyap match on the adjoining court and come to the aid of the teenager.
It was a move that paid rich dividends. Sindhu worked her way back to go into the changeover with a slender edge at 11-10.
Sindhu can’t make a dent in Li’s composure
But the 23-year-old Michelle refused to be rattled, as she remained toe to toe with the top seed at 14-14. With neither player willing to budge, the first game was on a knife’s edge as Sindhu saved a game point at 20-19. But try as Sindhu might, she couldn’t make a dent in her opponent’s game.
Li showed remarkable composure to eventually take the 23 minute first game at 22-20. A nearly half a minute rally that lasted 21 shots was enough to underline the dogged determination of these two young ladies.
Li claws her way back in the 2nd game after bright start by Sindhu
The World No. 11 knew she was left with plenty to do after losing the first game, so she began in right earnest. Sindhu took a 5-2 lead, allowing the shuttle some air to try and keep the points inside her comfort zone.
She consolidated her gains to 9-5, but Li started to work her way back and though there was a four point gap at 7-11, you could sense that the Canadian was beginning to find her range again.
Sindhu retained a two point advantage at 14-12, but from there on it was even stevens again through to the end of the end of the contest. Li worked her way back to 14-14 and the players showed remarkable guts and perseverance on both sides of the net, duelling with determination battling for every point like it was the last. Sindhu saved a match point to claw even at 20-20.
Disappointment for the Indian, elation for the Canadian
The Canadian though was not one to be ruffled easily. She won the next two points to snatch the match away from the desperately battling Indian teenager and soar into the finals.
The match lasted seven minutes shy of an hour and will have to force a bit of a thinking in the Indian’s coaching camp, as they need to address Sindhu’s ability to keep it together over the final stretch of these big events.
Li will go on to await the winner between Jing Yi Tee and Kirsty Gilmour, who were locked in a battle at 21-13, 15-19 in favour of the Scot at the time of writing this report.
