PV Sindhu, the former world champion, secured a spot in the semifinals of the Malaysia Masters 2024 badminton women’s singles event after defeating top-seeded Han Yue from the People’s Republic of China. The intense match, held at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, saw PV Sindhu triumph in three games, with a scoreline of 21-13, 14-21, 21-12. Despite losing the second game, PV Sindhu displayed remarkable composure in the decider, securing victory over her opponent, who is ranked sixth in the world, in a 55-minute clash.
PV Sindhu’s dominance was evident in the first game as she clinched five consecutive points from a 16-13 lead. However, Han Yue fought back strongly in the second game, taking an initial lead of 15-3. Although PV Sindhu narrowed the gap to 18-13, she couldn’t overturn the deficit, leading to a decider.
In the final game, PV Sindhu asserted her dominance early on, securing a commanding 9-1 lead. This advantage proved crucial as she sealed the third game and advanced to the semifinals.
In her next match, PV Sindhu will face off against world No. 20 Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand. The Indian shuttler aims to clinch her first BWF World Tour title since winning the Singapore Open in 2022.
Meanwhile, Ashmita Chaliha’s journey in the women’s singles category came to an end in the quarterfinals after she suffered a defeat against sixth seed Zhang Yi Man of China.
PV Sindhu now remains the sole Indian contender in the BWF Super 500 tournament, as other Indian players, including Kiran George and the doubles pairs, were eliminated in earlier rounds.
