PV Sindhu loses to China’s Wang Zhi Yi in Malaysia Masters badminton final

Leading 11-3 in the decider, PV Sindhu was well on her way to her first title in almost two years. The former world champion was aggressive in her approach, was winning points at the net and displaying the agility one hasn’t seen from her in recent times.

But China’s Wang Zhi Yi wasn’t done yet. Returning to the court after the mid-game break, both shuttlers engaged a scintillating 56-shot rally that sucked every ounce of energy from both. The world No.7 made some desperate lunges to keep the shuttle in play which did the trick as the second seed claimed what proved to be the most crucial point of the contest.

That rally – the first point after change of ends that gave Sindhu’s younger Chinese rival advantage in terms of drift on the court -- turned the course of the contest as Wang began to chip away at the deficit, reeling off five points in a row, before going on to level scores at 13-all. Wang maintained the momentum as Sindhu struggled for control, winning the decider to claim the match 16-21, 21-5, 21-16 in an hour and 19 minutes, clinching the $420,000 Malaysia Masters title in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

This was Wang’s second win over Sindhu, seeded fifth here, in four meetings. It was her third title of the year after winning the Asia Championships and Indonesia Masters. She also helped China win the Uber Cup earlier this month.

For world No.15 Sindhu, the wait for her first title since winning the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham continues after she reached her first final in 14 months. Despite the loss, the two-time Olympic medallist showed glimpses of her past level, playing her most natural style of aggressive badminton. Sindhu’s run in Kuala Lumpur included victory over Chinese top 10 player Han Yue, the top seed.

“It’s sad that I didn’t get the result that I expected. I should have pulled it off, maintaining the lead (11-3 in third game), but there were really good rallies. She also came back. Overall, it's been a very good match," said Sindhu, 28, twice winner of the Malaysia Masters.

“It’s a bit disappointing, but a lot of positives to take from this match and the whole tournament. I am happy that I at least came to the final. I played well. These matches will definitely give me a lot of confidence. I could have won, just not one of those days.”

Sindhu was clearly the better player in the first game, attacking the net regularly which caught out the Chinese. Her variation of strokes, backed by boosts of confidence from coach Agus Dwi Santoso from the courtside, saw her race away with the game.

But the reigning Asian champion turned the tables on Sindhu in the second, winning nine points on the trot from 11-4 to reach game point, closing it out on her second opportunity.

The first two games indicated that drift was clearly a factor at the Axiata Arena, which came in handy as Sindhu raced away to a 11-3 lead in the decider. But after the change of ends, it was Wang who had the better end, and despite the huge lead, Sindhu failed to close out the Super 500 final.

“Whoever played on that side of the court was not really comfortable is what I felt. Then I continuously made mistakes. It was a bit hard to control. Coming to the final after a long time is a positive thing. I’ll go back and see what improvements need to be done, discuss with my coach and prepare for Singapore,” said Sindhu. The Singapore Open, a Super 750 event, starts on Tuesday.

“It’s not just over with this tournament. It’s important to get back and maybe take just a day off and then be prepared for the next tournament. It’s important that you keep pumping up, keep pushing yourself, keep encouraging yourself in these low times. That’s what I can do now. It is disappointing, but it is also important to cheer myself up, focus, relax and prepare.”