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P.V. Sindhu has done it again. The teenaged Indian shuttler fought back from a game and 12-16 down against the second seeded Shixian Wang to snatch an improbable victory and march into the semifinals of the World Championships in Copenhagen.
In a match that had deja vu written all over it, Sindhu battled Wang in the quarters for a second straight year, calling upon her attacking best when she needed it to clinch a thrilling 19-21, 21-19, 21-15 victory and ensure a medal for India.
Earlier in the day, Saina Nehwal suffered a stinging 15-21, 15-21 defeat at the hands of the top seeded Xuerui Li to dent Indian hopes.
Rousing start for Sindhu
In their sixth encounter, it was the young Sindhu who began with great confidence and a powerful attacking game. The Indian looked nimble on her feet even as she unsettled the second seed with her attacking style. After being level at 3-3, Sindhu won eight of the next nine points to take a commanding 11-4 lead at the first changeover.
The world No. 12 held a six point advantage when she enjoyed a 12-6 lead and then 14-8.
Wang finally got into double figures when she forced Sindhu back before killing the bird in the forecourt with her trademark deception. The Chinese was starting to work her back into the game and Sindhu allowed herself to be hustled into errors by her determined opponent.
Wang fights back with resolve, turning the game on its head
After making a couple of needless forehand errors, Sindhu sank a backhand in the net to allow Wang even the score at 15-15.
The Chinese was way behind in the early stages, but spurred on by her own ability to retrieve the situation, she was able to stay with Sindhu at 18-18. The Indian then made a misjudged call at the back, one of many in the contest, to surrender the lead at 18-19.
Wang then produced a gem – a disguised smash – to gain an unlikely game point, and she finished it in style with a backhand cross court winner to steal the first game from the Indian.
The story repeats itself in the second game
Once again it was Sindhu in control at the start of the second game, as she converted a 2-0 lead into a 5-2 advantage. But Wang began exploiting Sindhu in the short forehand corner and another error at the net saw the Chinese draw even at 6-6. After remaining even to 8-8, Sindhu made another error of judgement on the back line before sailing long to change ends at 8-11.
At 13-11, Wang produced a short smash from the backhand corner to take a lead of three. Wang continued reproducing the same bit of magic to remain ahead by three, and then Sindhu made a forehand error to help Wang gain control at 16-12.
Sindhu's turn to rally hard
With the match seemingly slipping away, Sindhu produced a comeback of vintage class. Having suffered immensely at the hands of Wang, especially on the long rallies, Sindhu resorted to attacking again, and the ploy paid rich dividends.
Wang helped too, in no small measure, by making a string of nervous errors, allowing the Indian eight points in a row. A forehand flew way out to offer Sindhu four game points at 20-16. Wang saved three of them, but it was one too many and Sindhu forced the decider by taking the second game 21-19.
The last two battles between these two players also went the distance, before Wang prevailed at the Asian Championships and the Indian Open earlier this summer. But this time, Sindhu was also dealing with the fatigue of her round of 16, which lasted nearly 75 minutes.
The battle goes into overtime, and Sindhu emerges as the last woman standing
As with the first two games, Sindhu was the one to get off the blocks faster – taking a 5-2 lead when Wang floated a forehand crosscourt wide off the court. The final game progressed point for point as both players worked to extract every last ounce of energy from their battle-worn bodies to hang tight and keep it watertight.
The two were tied 7-7 and then 10-10, before a powerful smash from Sindhu caught the tape and fell over to Wang's side to usher the final change of sides.
With 80 minutes of energy sapping badminton, much of it world class, already on their sleeves, there was barely anything to separate the two players. At 15-15, it was still very difficult to swing one way or the other. But in a final burst of energy, it was Sindhu who drew more from her battered body. The Indian kept her Chinese opponent on edge, rallying to win point after point as she edged ever closer to victory.
In a repeat of the result from the last edition of the Wrold Championships, it was Sindhu again that prevailed. Wang struck a forehand wide to surrender victory, leaving Sindhu to fall to her knees and scream in sheer relief.
Sindhu awaits the winner between Carolina Marin and Tzu Ying Tai, while the other semifinal will be contested between Xuerui Li and Minatsu Mitani.
