PV Sindhu takes positives from Malaysia Masters loss, looks forward to a better performance at Singapore Open

Two-time Olympic medallist and India’s number-uno shuttler PV Sindhu went down in yet another final appearance after losing 21-16, 5-21, 16-21 to Wang Zhi Yi of China in the final of the Malaysia Masters.

The final appearance was Sindhu’s first in 2024, as the badminton player is enduring a tough Olympic year and season.

However, Sindhu said while she was disappointed with the result, she acknowledged the fact that there were a lot of positives to take from the match. “It is sad that I didn’t get the result that I had expected. I should have pulled it off, maintaining the lead (in the final game), but there were really good rallies and she came back. Overall, I can say that it’s been a very good match. It is disappointing, but there are a lot of positives to take from this match and the whole tournament as well,” Sindhu said after the final.

The 28-year-old shuttler is training at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru under the watchful eyes of Prakash Padukone. Sindhu has been under the weather for most of the Olympic year since a stress fracture on her left ankle left her sidelined. She returned to competitive badminton in February this year and has been a pale shadow of herself, in terms of competitiveness.

Sindhu, ranked 15th in the world currently, hopes to do well at the upcoming Singapore Open Super 750 tournament. “I will go back and see what improvements need to be done with my coach and, of course, prepare for Singapore. It is not just over with this tournament, so it is important to get back and be prepared for the next tournament. It’s important that you keep pumping up, you keep pushing yourself, you keep encouraging yourself in these low times. That is what I can do now at the moment, but it is also important to just cheer myself up and just focus and relax and prepare for the next tournament,” she emphasised.

In a match that lasted for an hour and 19 minutes, Wang Zhi Yi made a spectacular comeback from trailing 11-3 in the final game to win the match with a 16-21 scoreline.

Sindhu beat World No. 20 Busanan Ongbamrungphan, of Thailand, 13-21, 21-16, 21-12 in the semifinal earlier.