PV Sindhu, the double Olympic medallist, has reached her first final of the year at the Madrid Spain Masters Super 300 tournament, after defeating Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min in straight games.
The second seed had to fight hard for 48 minutes to secure her place in the final, with a 24-22, 22-20 win over her lower-ranked opponent. Sindhu had come into the match with a 4-0 head-to-head record against Min.
Sindhu beats Yeo Jia Min to reach final
Despite trailing 15-20 in the first game, Sindhu showed immense fighting spirit as she saved seven game points to take the game 24-22. She used the body smash to great effect and converted the only game point opportunity she had.
In the second game, Sindhu fell behind 1-4 before rallying to open a five-point lead at 11-6. However, world no. 33 Min played a beautiful drop shot to level the scores at 17-17. Sindhu then had two match points, but Min managed to save both before driving one wide, giving the Indian her third match point. This time, Sindhu made no errors as Min found the net.
Sindhu’s Road to the Final
The victory marks Sindhu’s first final since winning the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games last year. She will face the winner of the second semifinal clash between local favourite and top seed Carolina Marin and Indonesia’s Gregoria Tunjung.
The win will come as a huge morale boost for Sindhu, who has been struggling for form this season since returning to action following a long injury layoff. She made a first-round exit from the prestigious All England Championship and failed to defend her Swiss Open Super 300 badminton title earlier this month. She had also made first-round exits at the Indian Open and Malaysia Open in January.
Sindhu’s hard-fought victory over Min is sure to give her confidence going into the final and provide a much-needed boost to her season. The Indian shuttler will be determined to lift the trophy in Madrid and add to her impressive list of career achievements. Fans around the world will be eagerly anticipating the final, as Sindhu looks to cap off a remarkable comeback from injury with a title-winning performance.
