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A dominant PV Sindhu annihilated the fifth seed Sun Yu in the quarter-finals to assure India’s first medal from the 2017 BWF World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland on Friday. The fourth seed needed just 39 minutes to beat the Chinese, 21-14, 21-9.
In the process, she achieved a major milestone as she became the first Indian to secure as many as three medals from the prestigious global event where the crème de la crème of the badminton world compete.
The 22-year-old was already the first Indian to get multiple medals when a teenaged Sindhu brought home two bronze medals in 2013 and 2014. And today, she confirmed her third one, although the Rio Olympic silver medallist is self-admittedly determined to change the colour of her medal this time.
Has reached the semis three out of four times
What is even more commendable is Sindhu’s ability to produce her very best against the elite at the World Championships right from her debut. In each of the four editions that she has played so far, she has been successful in reaching at least the quarter-finals. Only in 2015 did she fail to advance past the last-eight when she fell to the Korean ace Sung Ji Hyun in three gruelling games.
This time, she has come to Glasgow as one of the biggest title contenders after her continued success in the past one year. After her Rio glory, she went on to win the China Open Superseries Premier, the India Open Superseries and the Syed Modi International Grand Prix Gold.
But in the third round on Thursday, Sindhu was way off her best and appeared very sluggish against an inspired World No. 17 Chueng Ngan Yi. She was two points away from defeat from where she motivated herself to pull through the finish line with a 19-21, 23-21, 21-17 win in 1 hour 27 minutes.
Today, when she took the court against Sun Yu, who also played a long match, there was not a hint of tiredness. Controlling the proceedings right from the start, she never ever relented.
Such quiet confidence even after the laborious effort yesterday can be attributed to her improved fitness.
Reigning junior champion up next
The Pullela Gopichand protégé will look to advance to the final for the first time when she faces the ninth seed and reigning junior champion Chen Yufei in the semi-finals on Saturday. It would not be an easy affair as Sindhu lost her last match to the young Chinese in three games in the first round of the Malaysia Open.
