Thailand Open badminton: PV Sindhu denied final berth by Tokyo champion Chen Yu Fei

Indian badminton ace PV Sindhu bowed out of the Thailand Open 2022 after losing in the women’s singles semi-final to Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Chen Yu Fei of China at the Impact Arena in Bangkok on Saturday.

Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, who had defeated the world No. 1 Akane Yamaguchi in the quarter-finals of the BWF Super 500 event on Friday, lost the final-four match 21-17, 21-16.

Heading into the match, PV Sindhu had won six of the 10 head-to-head meetings against the Chinese shuttler.

The match got off to an edgy start with both players committing multiple unforced errors but it was Chen Yu Fei who recovered first and went on to take an 11-7 lead.

PV Sindhu, seventh in the badminton world rankings, tried to mount a comeback after the restart and even cut down the gap to 17-15 but the fourth-ranked Chinese player continued to trouble the Indian at the back court and sealed the first game.

Trying to draw back level, Sindhu raced off the blocks in the second game and took an 11-8 lead at the interval but Chen Yu Fei pegged the Indian back after resumption of play and took a 15-12 lead of her own.

Sindhu tried desperately to claw her way back into the match but the Chinese shuttler was clinical and wrapped the match up in 43 minutes. Chen Yu Fei will face either Tai Tzu Ying or Ratchanok Intanon in the final on Sunday.

PV Sindhu’s defeat brings an end to India’s campaign at the Thailand Open 2022. Saina Nehwal and HS Prannoy crashed out from the earlier rounds while Kidambi Srikanth pulled out at the round of 16 stage.