8-0 becomes 8-1: 'Impatient' PV Sindhu falls to cramping Wang Zhi Yi in epic duel
PV Sindhu's World Championships campaign ended in controversy as Wang Zhi Yi overcame cramps, a hostile Delhi crowd and the five-time medallist to snap her unbeaten record against Chinese shuttlers at the Worlds. Ayush Shetty also bowed out, while Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand and Satwik-Chirag marched into the quarter-finals.
In a gripping Olympic showdown on Thursday, Chinese shuttler Wang Zhi Yi dethroned Indian badminton sensation PV Sindhu in a thrilling 11-21, 21-15, 17-21 match that lasted a grueling 68 minutes. This marks Sindhu's third loss to Zhi Yi in their ninth meeting, breaking her perfect 9-0 record at the Olympics and World Championships. The 26-year-old Chinese athlete also suffered from cramps twice during the intense contest, using the medical breaks to her advantage.
Sindhu's loss extends her losing streak to 3-6 against Zhi Yi, who now boasts an impressive record of 4-1 against the five-time Worlds medallist. The Indian player, who has never been defeated by a Chinese player at these prestigious events until now, expressed her disappointment and commitment to bounce back stronger from her mistakes. Wang Zhi Yi, on the other hand, dismissed claims of injury, stating that she was genuinely injured during the cramp moments and focused on delivering her best performance.
In a day filled with remarkable performances, Indian doubles pairs Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Pullela Gopichand and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty also made their mark. Following an impressive campaign, Jolly and Gopichand became the first Indian women's doubles pair in 11 years to reach the World Championships quarter-finals, defeating the seventh-seeded Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 21-16, 21-12 in just 44 minutes.
The day concluded with an exciting victory for Satwik and Chirag, who overcame a first-game blip to clinch their spot in the quarter-finals.
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Also reported by 1 other outlet
- ‘Maybe that was her tactic’: Sindhu questions ‘cramps’; Wang says ‘I was injured’ timesofindia.indiatimes.com
