Olympic medalist PV Sindhu wins Syed Modi International title

Lucknow: PV Sindhu won the women’s singles at the Syed Modi India International BWF Super 300 competition on Sunday, ending a 29-month winless streak. India’s ace shuttler, who had previously won the 2019 World Championships, ousted compatriot Malvika Bansod in the finals held in Lucknow.

Sindhu’s overall dominance in the summit showdown was mirrored in the score of 21-13, 21-16, however, young Bansod forced her strong opponent to walk around a lot in the final at the UP Badminton Academy courts.

Sindhu, the World No. 7, hadn’t won a trophy after the Global Championships in Basel, Switzerland, in August 2019. The pandemic scenario, as well as schedule disruptions, had added to the extended wait. She won the Syed Modi competition for the second time in 35 minutes, having previously won the event in 2017.

Only in the quarterfinals did the 26-year-old Hyderabad player feel the heat, as she rebound to beat World No. 30 Supanida Katethong, who gave her a shocking defeat in the India Open in Delhi the week before.

In the match against Bansod, Sindhu got out to a fast start on Sunday, sprinting to an 11-1 lead in under four minutes. Sindhu won the first game in 14 minutes, despite Bansod trying to pick up the pace and scoring a few points. The world No. 84 Bansod upped her game in the second game, engaging Sindhu in long rallies and moving her all over the court. Sindhu trailed 3-5 before reclaiming control with an eight-point run to go up 12-4.

Sindhu appreciated the game of her opponent, the young Bansod. “It was good she (Bansod) is an upcoming player and she is doing really well. She had some good matches in quarterfinals and semifinals. She played well and there were some good rallies,” she said.

The 20-year-old Bansod, on the other hand, fought back to give Sindhu a hard time. At 7-13, she altered gears and won a few points, including a down-the-line smash on Sindhu’s backhand that was the highlight. The double Olympic medalist, on the other hand, kept her hold on the match, winning 21-16 to bring the match to an end.