All England Open Championship: PV Sindhu crashes out in semi-finals

The shuttler’s exit has lead to the end of India’s challenge at the tournament.

PV Sindhu bowed out of the All England Open Badminton Championship 2021 on Saturday after losing the semi-final to Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong. The match lasted merely 45 minutes due to being one-sided.

The World No. 7 looked to have carried a knock from her quarter-final victory against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi. The clash had stretched late into the third game, which Sindhu won after 1 hour 16 minutes of relentless badminton. 

On Saturday, Thai shuttler Chochuwong looked fitter and sharper as she ran away with a 21-17, 21-9 victory over Sindhu, who is also the reigning world champion. With the win, the sixth seed secured a spot in the final of the tournament where she’ll face either Ratchanok Intanon or Nozomi Okuhara.

PV Sindhu started the match on a positive note by taking a 3-1 lead in the first game, but her opponent quickly took control of proceedings. Chochuwong showed great determination, as she shot into a 11-6 lead at the interval and secured the first by 21-17.

From that point onward, it was one-way traffic. The second game saw the World No. 11 dominate on all fronts. She took a 4-1 lead and carried it till the interval which ended at 11-4. By then Sindhu’s resolve had faltered. 

The Hyderabad-born shuttler was not moving with ease, as the effects of fatigue and a possible injury limited her movement.

Chochuwong ended the Indian’s misery by winning the game and the match by 21-9. The result comes as a major setback for the former Olympic medalist since she looked to have regained her form in previous matches. 

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