PV Sindhu didn’t break a sweat as she eased past world number 38 Saena Kawakami in the semi finals of $370,000 Singapore Open Super 500 event. The double Olympic medallist started off well in the first game but Kawakami fought back to close down the points deficit. Sindhu lead 11-7 at the break and it was all her from there on. Her precise net drops and quick smashes were too “hot” to handle for the Japanese as she breezed her way to win the game 21-15.
Many low ranked players show resistance in the first game but historically second game is dominated by a top ranked played and same went with PV Sindhu. She made Kawakami run for each point and her angles and especially her attacking play ousted Kawakami from any chance of making it to the finals as she won 21-7 to seal the deal. Sindhu played effortlessly and it was important for her to conserve some energy before the big finals against an up-roaring Wang Zhi-Yi. This will be her first super 500 event since 2018’s Thailand Open runner up triumph. Its worth mentioning that this can be Sindhu’s first Super 500 event win if she triumphs against the Chinese in the final.
Tournament: Singapore Open 2022.
Date: July 17, 2022.
Round: Final(round of 2)
Venue: Kallang, Singapore.
Category: HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500.
Match timing: 10:30 AM
Prize money: $370,000.
Live streaming: Voot select for streaming and Sports 18 for TV telecast
What to expect
Sindhu is currently the world number 7 and will be up against Wang Zhi-Yi who is ranked 11th in the world and is improving on a constant basis as her rank suggests. She is ranked 11th in the world and her current form is enough to soon put her in contention for a top 10 place in the near future. Prediction can be tough to make for this match as a well established played in Sindhu will be up against an improving Wang, who is playing her third finals of the year. She also played Indonesia Open 1000 event final against the invincible Tai Tzu Ying and put up a brave fight in a three set thriller but ended up on the losing side. On the other hand, Sindhu has failed to impress against Tai in the recent years and that may give edge to Wang in the finals.
Head to head
Sindhu leads 1-0 when it comes to head to head and the only match which happened between them was at 2022 All England Open where the Indian prevailed 21-18, 21-13.