Defending champion Sindhu out of BWF World C'ships

DEFENDING world champion PV Sindhu on Friday (17) crashed out of the BWF World Championships 2021 after losing to Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-wing in straight games in the quarter finals in Huelva, Spain.

Sindhu lost 17-21, 13-21 in a clash which lasted for 42 minutes.

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It was the 20th meeting between the ace Indian shuttler and his Taiwanese opponent and the latter now has 15-5 advantage over the two-time Olympic medallist.

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This is only the second time in her career that Sindhu will return from the world championships empty-handed. The 27-year-old Tzu-wing, who won silver at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic games, on the other hand, will be on the tournament’s podium for the very first time in her career.

Tzu-wing dominated the early exchanges in the game as she took 11-6 lead into the midway break of the first game.

Sindhu showed some late resurgence in the second half but Tzu-wing won the first game 21-17.

The Taiwanese continued with her impeccable placement in the second game to take 11-8 lead. Sindhu levelled the game at 12-12 but eventually lost the game 13-21.

Tzu-wing also avenged her defeat against Sindhu in the quarter-final of the same tournament in Basel, Switzerland, in 2019.