New Delhi, Aug 20: Former world No. 1 PV Sindhu’s campaign at the BWF World Championships came to an end on Thursday after a hard-fought Round of 16 defeat to China’s third-seeded Wang Zhi Yi, while India’s men’s doubles stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty battled into the quarter-finals.
Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, went down 11-21, 21-15, 17-21 against Wang in a gripping contest at the World Championships in New Delhi.
The Indian struggled to find her rhythm in the opening game as Wang took it 21-11. Sindhu, however, responded strongly in the second, winning 21-15 to force a decider.
The final game remained finely balanced, with the scores locked at 15-15 and later 16-16. The Chinese shuttler then managed to create the decisive advantage and closed out the match 21-17.
The contest was briefly interrupted when Wang picked up a knock to her left leg while the deciding game was level at 16-16. After receiving medical attention, she returned to the court and completed the victory.
“Sindhu fights hard after dropping the opening game 11-21 and forces a decider by winning the second 21-15,” the live commentary noted.
Earlier, India’s Ayush Shetty also bowed out in the men’s singles Round of 16, losing 19-21, 11-21 to 11th-seeded Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan.
With Sindhu and Ayush out, India’s hopes received a boost from Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who produced a stirring comeback to enter the men’s doubles quarter-finals.
The fifth-seeded Indian pair defeated Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Yap Roy King 21-23, 21-19, 21-17 in a tense three-game encounter.
Satwik and Chirag had led 14-12 in the opening game but were unable to close it out, eventually losing 21-23. They responded strongly in the second game, holding their nerve to win 21-19 and force a decider.
The Malaysians led 15-13 at one stage in the deciding game, but the Indian pair kept their composure and completed the comeback by taking the game 21-17.
“Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty survive a thrilling battle against Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Yap Roy King to reach the BWF World Championships quarter-finals,” the live update said.
The victory keeps the Indian duo’s campaign alive as they chase a deep run at the home World Championships. Satwik and Chirag had received a first-round bye before advancing through the second round via a walkover, making their Round of 16 clash their first match of the tournament.
With two of India’s prominent singles players now eliminated, the focus will turn to Satwik and Chirag as they carry India’s hopes into the quarter-finals.
