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Indian shuttle queen PV Sindhu begins her quest for the Badminton Asia Championships 2023 title against World No. 17 Wen Chi Hsu in Dubai on Wednesday (April 26). Ranked 11th, Sindhu has been seeded eighth in this prestigious continental event.
Considering her lofty standards, the two-time Olympic medalist's season has been subpar so far. Her comeback from a five-month injury layoff at the start of the year didn't go as expected. The 27-year-old went on a three-match losing streak on the tour before snapping it with a first-round victory at the Swiss Open in March. However, her title defense came to a premature end with her second-round exit.
Sindhu finally turned things around in her next outing at the Madrid Spain Masters. For the first time this year, the Indian ace won four straight matches to make the final in this Super 300 competition.
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However, the exploits took their toll on her, robbing her of any energy to contest the summit clash. Sindhu turned up a pale shadow of herself as she went down 21-8, 21-8 against Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia.
Having got three weeks to rest and recharge, the World No. 11 will be raring to go and build on her Madrid heroics at the Badminton Asia Championships.
PV Sindhu vs Wen Chi Hsu: Head-to-head and prediction
Sindhu and Wen Chi Hsu have never squared off on the tour before. Hence, their head-to-head stands at 0-0. Sindhu is undoubtedly the more accomplished of the two. but she cannot afford to take her opponent lightly.
Wen Chi Hsu has won more matches than Sindhu this year, which includes a semifinal showing at the Thailand Masters and quarterfinals at the Malaysia Open and the German Open. The Chinese Taipei shuttler also won five titles at the International Challenge/Series level last year.
Wen Chi Hsu has made rapid strides over the past few months and will come into this match with a lot of confidence. If Sindhu makes a slow start, she could be in trouble. Hsu could take a game off her more fancied opponent, but if Sindhu finds her range, the Indian is expected to come through.
Badminton Asia Championships, PV Sindhu vs Wen Chi Hsu: Date and time
Eighth seed PV Sindhu and Wen Chi Hsu cross swords in the women's singles first round at the Badminton Asia Championships 2023 on Wednesday in the 11th match of the day on Court 2.
Date: April 26, 2023
Time: Approx 4.30 pm local time, 6 pm IST
Venue: Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Indoor Hall, Al Nasr Club in Dubai
Badminton Asia Championships, PV Sindhu vs Wen Chi Hsu: Where to watch & live streaming details
The Badminton Asia Championships 2023 matches can be watched live on Badminton Asia's Youtube channel and Facebook page from April 25-27.
