Tokyo Olympics: PV Sindhu loses in the semi-final; Tai Tzu advances

PV India shuttler Sindhu will not be able to compete in the women’s singles category at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics after losing to Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu-Ying in the semi-finals on Saturday at the Musashino Forest Plaza Court 1. In the semifinals, Tzu-Ying defeated Sindhu 21-18, 21-12. On Sunday, Sindhu will compete for bronze.

The Indian shuttler matched her opponent shot for shot, but it wasn’t enough for Tzu-Ying, who won the first game 21-18. Sindhu needed to win her next match in order to advance to the semi-finals.

Tzu-Ying, the number two seed, continued where she left off in the first game, and despite Sindhu’s best efforts, the Indian shuttler was defeated in straight games in the semi-finals. The game lasted 40 minutes in total.

Sindhu advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s singles event on Friday after overcoming Japan’s No. 4 seed Akane Yamaguchi in the quarterfinals. Yamaguchi was defeated by Sindhu 21-13, 22-20. Sindhu and Yamaguchi battled for 56 minutes in the quarterfinals.

At the Olympics, Sindhu was in awe-inspiring form. In four matches so far at the Tokyo Games, the Indian ace hadn’t dropped a game. Tai Tzu Ying, on the other hand, had lost her first game of the tournament in the quarterfinals to Intanon, but had kept a clean sheet in the group stages.

In a toe-to-toe battle with PV Sindhu, Tai Tzu Ying won the first set 21-18. The two athletes brought their A-game on the court and went at it head-to-head. For a number of moments, the first set was equally matched, but Tai Tzu Ying maintained her composure to lead PV Sindhu in Game 1.

It came as a heartbreak to fans across the Indian subcontinent since PV Sindhu secured a silver medal in the previous version of the Olympic games. This time around, she will have to put in a fight to get the bronze.