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New Delhi: Indian shuttler P V Sindhu's brilliant campaign came to an end after a straight-game loss against China's Wang Zhiyi in the women's singles semifinals of the Malaysia Open Super 1000 on Saturday, January 10.
Sindhu failed to sustain the pressure against the world number two and committed several unforced errors in a 16-21, 15-21 defeat. The two-time Olympic medallist was playing her first tournament after recovering from a foot injury, which kept her out of action since October. She had an 11-6 lead in the second game, but let it slip.
She started the match brilliantly against her highly ranked opponent, hitting hard and using her reach effectively to trouble Wang. Sindhu delivered a couple of trademark cross-court smashes to take a 5-2 lead before the Chinese shuttler's subtle touch helped her draw level with a run of points.
Wang missed a few chances, which helped the Indian shuttler to take a 9-7 lead, but the Chinese shuttler made a comeback in the game to take a one-point lead at the interval.
Both players struggled for a long time after the restart of the match, with the scores levelled at 13-13 and several points squandered at the backline.
From 15-14, Wang shifted the gears to create pressure with relentless attacking shots that troubled Sindhu. The Chinese shuttler then surged 18-14, and earned four points to close out the opening game as the Indian player went wide.
Sindhu made two unforced errors at the start of the second game, but she regrouped quickly and took a 6-3 lead. Wang steadied herself to close the gap, yet Sindhu dominated the middle phase and pushed her opponent to the corners, taking an 11-6 lead at the break.
Wang came out firing after the match resumed, engaging in brisk rallies, but the Indian shuttler countered with near-perfect net shots to stay ahead at 13-9. Wang fought back as Sindhu fired shots wide and into the net, drawing level at 13-13.
The Chinese shuttler moved to 16-13 after a deft net exchange. Sindhu then missed the backline twice, and a backhand net error gave Wang five match points. The match ended when Sindhu pushed another shot wide, marking the end of India's campaign in the tournament.
