KUALA LUMPUR – Former world number one P.V. Sindhu stands on the brink of ending her two-year title drought after successfully advancing to tomorrow’s women’s singles final at the Malaysia Masters.
Sindhu, 28, encountered little resistance today in defeating Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan 13-21, 21-16, 21-12 in a hard-fought semi-final lasting 88 minutes.
For Sindhu, the win is a welcome relief as it has been quite some time since she savoured the joy of competing in a final, not since the Spain Masters last year.
Remarkably, Sindhu has clinched the Malaysia Masters title twice before, in 2013 and 2016.
“Almost a year (to be in the final), well I’m happy to advance to the final. Of course, it’s not over yet, and I will be playing against Wang Zhiyi, so it won’t be easy, and I am prepared for tomorrow.
“I hope I will win this time, but at the same time, I cannot be overconfident because my opponent has been playing well too, plus she is in the top 10 of the world rankings.
Sindhu expressed gratitude for the tremendous support from the crowd and hoped for the same backing in tomorrow’s showpiece.
Tomorrow’s final against China’s Zhiyi will be a reprise of the 2022 Singapore Open final, where Sindhu emerged as winner, marking her last international title.
However, the circumstances may differ from their last encounter at the Japan Open in July, where Zhiyi managed to upset Sindhu in the first round.
“Definitely, this result gives me a lot of confidence. It’s very important for me to give my 100 percent in every match, and I think, in the end, whoever shows the best performance will win the match,” she added. – May 25, 2024
