In the ongoing Tokyo Olympics 2020, PV Sindhu’s gold medal dreams got crushed in the semifinal as she lost the game against her opponent. However, she can still win the bronze medal if she goes on and wins against China’s He Bing Jiao. On Saturday, she was paired against the second seed of the Badminton women’s singles and was humbled by Tai Tzu-Ying.
#TokyoOlympics: Indian shuttler PV Sindhu loses to Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei 18-21, 12-21 in women's singles semi-final, to play for bronze tomorrow pic.twitter.com/qaZFyMlhin
— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2021
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After crushing her opponents left and right in the last few matches, Indian badminton league was paired against China’s Tai Tzu-Ying for the semi-final bout. A win would’ve at least secured India a for sure medal and would’ve kept the doors to gold open, but Tai had other plans in her mind and defeated Sindhu in a match that went for just about 40 minutes.
Also Read: Tokyo Olympics: PV Sindhu Shuttles Way Through to Semis, One Win Away from Confirming Medal
PV Sindhu VS Tai Tzu-Ying – A preview
A badminton lover would’ve thoroughly enjoyed the game, no matter which side that person may be supporting. Both the players are ranked among the best players in the world and have had their fair share of rivalry inside the court. But Tai had a significant 13-5 dominance over Sindhu in their head-to-head games.
Game 1 – Sindhu Starts of Solid, Manages to Get lead
In the first game, Sindhu’s game was at its best. She was firing on all four-cylinders, covering the space, defending body serves well, and showing her aggression with some glorious smashes. Both the players matched each other point by point, and while the first 10 minutes saw Tai trailing, she was quick to narrow down Sindhu’s lead and started matching with her point-by-point.
Tai Makes Comeback, Takes Away First Game 21-18
At the break of 11 points, India’s ace shuttler was leading 11-8. However, the second half saw Tai making a comeback unlike ever seen before. She made Sindhu work all around the court and worn her out. Eventually, Tai took the game away with 21-18.
Game 2 – Tai Tightens Her Noose
Indians were hoping for a reignited comeback by their favourite badminton player. However, the grit and determination with which Tai was holding the reins of game with, it was becoming increasingly challenging for Sindhu to turn things around.
Also Read: Tokyo Olympics: Lovlina Borgohain Confirms Second Medal for India, Punches Way Through to Semi Final
Game Continues Slipping Away from Sindhu
The second game started with Tai managing to take a lead and keeping Sindhu away from narrowing the gap. Covering the entire court with jaw dropping agility, Tai kept Sindhu busy and the score was tied at 3-3. As the game continued, Tai managed to continue with her lead while Sindhu took a few points here and there to keep Indian fans hooked to their screens. By the mid-game interval, the score was 7-11 in favour of Tai.
Tai Seals the Match, 21-18, 21-12
Tai continued taking the game away from Sindhu and at 18-10, it looked like it was almost an end to the game. However, Tai missed a shot and the score was 18-11, giving Indians a faint hope of a comeback. But this was not to be and soon, Tai emerged victorious with a brilliantly fought game that went 18-21, 12-21.
How Sindhu Can Win the Bronze Medal Now?
Although the opportunity to clinch gold has been taken away from Sindhu, she still remains a strong contender for the brown metal. Sindhu will now face China’s He Bing Jiao. The encounter surely seems to be a mouthwatering one as Sindhu is world’s number 7 and China’s Jiao is ranked 9. If Sindhu can make a comeback, she will script history for India as it will be India’s second medal in this edition of Olympics and the second individual medal for herself.
