PV Sindhu Advances to Malaysia Masters Final After Thrilling Semifinal Victory

Indian badminton star and two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu has stormed into the final of the Malaysia Masters after a gripping semifinal victory over Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan on Saturday.

Sindhu triumphed in a thrilling three-set match, winning 13-21, 21-16, 21-12. The match showcased Sindhu’s resilience and skill as she recovered from a first-set loss to dominate the next two sets, securing her place in the final. This marks her first tournament final since the 2023 Spain Masters, highlighting a significant milestone in her ongoing career.

The match began with a challenging first set for Sindhu, who lost 13-21. However, demonstrating her trademark determination, she made a remarkable comeback in the second set, winning 21-16. Sindhu maintained her momentum in the final set, overpowering Ongbamrungphan with a 21-12 victory.

Sindhu’s journey to the final has been marked by impressive performances. On Friday, she advanced to the semifinals after defeating China’s world number six shuttler, Han Yue, in a hard-fought quarterfinal match. Sindhu overcame Han Yue 13-21, 21-14, 12-21 in a contest that lasted 55 minutes.

In the final, Sindhu will face China’s Wang Zhiyi, set to be played on Sunday. This highly anticipated match promises to be a thrilling conclusion to the tournament.

The tournament has seen mixed results for other Indian shuttlers. The women’s doubles duo of Simran Singhi and Ritika Thaker exited in the second round, losing 21-17, 21-11 to Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan. Additionally, the pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand were defeated in the pre-quarterfinals by Chinese Taipei’s Yu Chien Hui and Sung Shuo Yun, with scores of 18-21, 22-20, 14-21.

The Malaysia Masters, held from May 21 to 26 in Kuala Lumpur, is a prestigious Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 500 level tournament. Sindhu has a strong history at the event, having won the women’s singles title twice before, in 2013 and 2016. Saina Nehwal captured the title in 2017, while HS Prannoy won the men’s title last year, defeating China’s Weng Hongyang 21-19, 13-21, 21-18.

Sindhu’s current run adds another chapter to her storied career and provides an inspiring performance for Indian badminton fans. The final match against Wang Zhiyi is highly anticipated, with hopes high for Sindhu to clinch another title at the Malaysia Masters.