Sindhu outsmarts Marin, in Malaysia Open semifinals
PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth came out with their best on Friday to earn straight game victories and enter the semi-finals of the $700,000 Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.
Third seed Sindhu displayed exemplary skill, patience and grit to outclass reigning Olympic champion and former world No 1 Carolina Marin of Spain 22-20, 21-19 in 53 minutes in the women’s singles quarter-final.
This was Sindhu’s fifth win over the former world champion in 11 meetings and third in the last four. Shewill next take on top seed and world No 1 Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei, who has a 8-3 advantage in career meetings and has beaten the Indian in their last four matches. The last time Sindhu won against Tai Tzu was at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
NEW DELHI:
SRIKANTH IN TOP FORM
Srikanth continued his impressive run, progressing to the men’s singles last four by beating France’s Brice Leverdez in the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament.
Fourth seed Srikanth, who won silver at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, dumped world No 22 Leverdez 21-18, 21-14 in a 39-minute clash at the Axiata Arena. He will take on former world No 2 Kento Momota, who has been in form since making a comeback after serving a year’s ban by Japan Badminton Association for gambling at an illegal casino in 2015.