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PV Sindhu has been in awesome form in the ongoing BWF World Tour Finals 2018, to say the least. She has stormed into the semifinals without the loss of a single match, and is looking like a world-beater.
The World Tour Finals is the tournament in which the top eight players of the season participate. And Sindhu, who is presently ranked number 6 in the world, had entered the tournament with not many expectations, since she hadn't been in very good form in the lead-up to the event.
Moreover, she was placed in a tough group, i.e. Group A, alongside Tai Tzu Ying (World number 1), Akane Yamaguchi (World number 2) and the talend Beiwen Zhang of USA. As a result, most experts felt that it would be difficult for Sindhu to get past the group stage.
But the Indian, known for her big match temperament and never-say-die attitude, has once again proved everyone wrong .
PV Sindu's performance in the group stage
In her first group match against World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, Sindhu came up with a superlative performance, winning in two straight games (24-22, 21-15). In the first game Sindhu came back from behind to win by 24-22 points, and in the second it was a comfortable win, by a 21-15 margin .
Sindhu's second match, against the great Tai Tzu Ying, was her acid test. Tai had beaten Sindhu in their last six encounters, and in this match too the World No. 1 started off in her signature style.
Tai beat Sindhu easily in the first game by a 21-14 margin. However, Sindhu came back strongly to win the second game 21-16.
In the decider, Tai started off very well and at the halfway stage she was 11-6 up. But Sindhu played some extraordinary badminton to take 10 points in a row in the second half of the game, and eventually won the game 21-18.
It took a memorable three-game match for the the Indian to finally break the jinx against Tai.
After two back-to-back victories against the top two players in the world, Sindhu was high on confidence going into her last group game against Beiwen Zhang. Today, she won her match against her American opponent too, by the comfortable margin of 21-9, 21-15. That enabled her to storm into the semifinals by topping Group A.
Her chances going forward
In the semifinal, Sindhu will be facing the veteran Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand. Intanon finished in the 2nd position in Group B, behind Nozomi Okuhara of Japan.
Intanon has a superior head-to-head record against Sindhu, and so the Indian would have to be at her very best if she has to win. And if she is able to do so, then in the final she will face either Yamaguchi or Okuhara.
With two very tough matches awaiting her, Sindhu would be hoping to continue her excellent play. She wouldn't want to lose her focus now that she is so close to the finish line.
Sindhu's form in the tournament, coupled with her ability to pull off big matches, gives plenty of hope to a nation of a billion plus. All Indian badminton fans would be praying and wishing that come Sunday, Sindhu will be lifting her maiden World Tour Finals trophy.
