P. V. Sindhu had beaten Tai Tzu-ying in straight games on way to the silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Tzu-ying, who has beaten the Indian nine times since, got her ultimate revenge five years later as she stormed to a 21-18, 21-12 victory in their Tokyo Olympics semifinal clash at the Musashino Forest Plaza here on Saturday.
Meets Bingjao for bronze
Sindhu will have a shot at a second successive Olympic medal when she takes on China’s He Bingjao for the bronze on Sunday. Tzu-ying will face another Chinese Chen Yufei in the final.
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All the shuttlers who’ve played Tzu-ying are aware of her weapon – deceitful drops. Sindhu managed to counter it well in the opening game and raced to a 7-3 lead. But Tzu-ying fought back in style.
From 11-11, the Chinese Taipei shuttler dominated the exchanges. Time and again, she made Sindhu dart across the court. However, the Indian used her phenomenal reach and athleticism to keep the rallies alive.
There was little to separate the two as they were locked 17-17. At this stage, Tzu-ying profited from a net cord and wrapped up the game with a down-the-line smash.
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Sindhu began the second game well but was unable to settle into as Tzu-ying took a four-point lead (10-6). The latter pulled away to 16-8 and sealed the contest 21-12 to reach her maiden Olympic final.
“It’s a bit sad that I am not on the winning side, but I have one more match to go. I need to keep my tempo going, recover soon and come back on Sunday,” said Sindhu, adding that her opponent hardly committed any unforced error.
Tzu-ying echoed Sindhu's view. “I didn’t make any major mistake today. I’m a player who can commit mistakes and that’s why I always have pressure from within. I reduced my errors and and produced my best performance,” she said.