India`s two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu defeated world number 2 Wang Zhi Yi of China in the World Championship match. With this victory, she has now sealed a place in the quarterfinals of the marquee event.
Currently ranked 15th, Sindhu, who managed to win the world title in Basel in 2019, took 48 minutes to win the contest, PTI reported. She defeated Zhi Yi 21-19, 21-15 to lead the head-to-head record against the Chinese 3-2.
Sindhu is now just one win away from securing the record-equaling sixth World Championship medal. She will now lock horns against Indonesia`s Putri Kusuma Wardani.
Earlier this year, she had suffered a loss against Wardani in the Sudirman Cup.
A five-time World Championships medallist, Sindhu made a bright start in the opening game, racing to an 11-6 lead at the mid-game interval with a flurry of sharp smashes and net winners, reported PTI.
Zhi Yi fought back strongly to level at 19-19, but the Indian held her nerves to pocket the game.
In the second game, Sindhu kept up the pressure, once again opening up an 11-6 cushion at the break, reported PTI. A stunning 57-shot rally briefly tested her, but she regained control with decisive attacking play, closing out the match.
Sindhu thus extended her remarkable record against Chinese shuttlers at the Worlds, having beaten Wang Yihan (2013), Wang Shixian (2014), Li Xuerui (2015), Sun Yu (2017) and Chen Yufei (2017 and 2019) in the earlier editions.
Meanwhile, the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also made it to the quarterfinals of the ongoing Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships by knocking out the two-time World Championships medalists pair of Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet in their round of 16 clash.
They will now clash against Linden Wang and Eva Wang in the quarterfinal of the mega event. Earlier, Kapila and Castro overwhelmed Joshua Magee and Moya Ryan from Ireland.
The Indian badminton duo hardly broke a sweat and wrapped up the contest with a 21-11, 21-16 victory in 35 minutes. Also, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty made it to the round of 16 by defeating Chinese Taipei`s Kuang Heng Liu and Po Han Yang.
(With Agencies` Inputs)
