SHANGHAI: India’s PV Sindhu pulled off a shock at the badminton World Tour Finals yesterday as she defeated top-ranked Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan in three thrilling games.
Sindhu sank to her knees at the end of an exhausting 14-21, 21-16, 21-18 victory in 61 enthralling minutes in the Chinese city of Guangzhou.
The 23-year-old, a silver medallist at the Rio Olympics in 2016, faces Zhang Beiwen of the US today looking to make it three wins out of three in Group ‘A’.
It was a disappointing day for Taiwan.
As well as Tai going down to the sixth-ranked Sindhu, men’s world number three Chou Tien-chen also lost, this time in the men’s draw.
Chou was on the end of an 18-21, 21-11, 21-14 defeat to South Korea’s buoyant Son Wan-ho.
There was no such trouble for men’s number one and world champion Kento Momota of Japan.
He is in ominous form as he looks to put the seal on a breakthrough year and swatted aside Thailand’s Kantaphon Wangcharoen 21-15, 21-7 for a second win in a row.
China’s Shi Yuqi, one of the main threats to red-hot Momota, was even more emphatic in dismissing Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia, 21-8, 21-19 in 37 minutes.