PV Sindhu Sails To Malaysia Masters Second Round
Returning from a break, two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu advanced to the women's singles second round with a straightforward win over Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 badminton tournament in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
PV Sindhu Sails To Malaysia Masters Second Round
Returning from a break, two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu advanced to the women's singles second round with a straightforward win over Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 badminton tournament in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. World No. 15 Sindhu, who missed the Uber Cup and Thailand Open, secured a 21-17, 21-16 victory over Gilmour, ranked 22nd, in a 46-minute match. The fifth-seeded Indian, who last won a title at the 2022 Singapore Open, will next compete against Korea's Sim Yu Jin.
In mixed doubles, B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy, ranked world No. 53, also moved to the second round after defeating Hong Kong qualifiers Lui Chun Wai and Fu Chi Yan 21-15, 12-21, 21-17 in 47 minutes.
The husband-wife duo will next face the top seeds, Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei of Malaysia.
For Sindhu, this was her third win over Gilmour, a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist.
The 28-year-old Sindhu quickly took a 7-1 lead, but Gilmour caught up at 14-14 and 15-15. Sindhu, however, dashed her hopes by winning six of the next eight points to take the first game.
After switching sides, Sindhu was even more dominant, preventing her opponent from making any comeback after taking an early 3-0 lead. Sindhu led 11-6 at the break and kept advancing to gain eight match points. Gilmour saved four match points before Sindhu comfortably sealed the match.
Sindhu, a former world champion, has faced several close losses since returning from a knee injury earlier this year. She aims for a strong performance here to boost her confidence before the Paris Olympics.
What's Your Reaction?
