Reigning badminton world champion PV Sindhu sailed into the women’s singles quarter-finals with a straight-game triumph over Denmark’s Mia ...
Reigning badminton world champion PV Sindhu sailed into the women’s singles quarter-finals with a straight-game triumph over Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday.
The 26-year-old Indian, who won a silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics, notched up a 21-15, 21-13 win over 13th seed Blichfeldt in a 41-minute match.
Sindhu will next face the winner of the match between Akane Yamaguchi of Japan and Korea’s Kim Gaeun.
“I started off well in the first game but around 15-16 I gave a couple of points because I was rushing in my defence. My coach was telling me that I was playing the wrong way and I realised that and I immediately changed my tactics and completed the first game,” Sindhu told media after the match.
“Second game I was fine, I was maintaining the lead and finished it off.”
Sindhu mixed her strokes well, putting her attacking clears and drops to good use besides smashing her way to finish points whenever there was a chance. She anticipated the shuttle better and showed good court coverage during the 41-minute clash.
Blichfeldt did have her moments but she was too erratic to sustain the pressure on the Indian, who was always a step ahead of her rival during the contest.
Blichfeldt had a...
