In a thrilling encounter at the Madrid Spain Masters badminton tournament, India's PV Sindhu put up a valiant fight but ultimately fell short against Thailand's Supanida Katethong in the women's singles quarterfinals. Despite trailing early (4-8) and facing game points, Sindhu showed great resilience to win the first game 26-24. However, the sixth-seeded Thai player bounced back, claiming the next two games 21-17 and 22-20 in a seesaw battle. This defeat ended Sindhu's hopes of winning the tournament, where she had finished runner-up in 2023.
However, there was positive news for India in the mixed doubles category. The husband-wife duo of N. Sikki Reddy and B. Sumeeth Reddy displayed excellent teamwork to defeat the highly-ranked Indonesian pair of Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Lisa Ayu Kusumawati in a close match (14-21, 21-11, 21-17). This victory secured their place in the mixed doubles semifinals.
In the women's doubles quarterfinals, India's Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa, seeded third, fell short against the sixth-seeded Taiwanese pair of Lee Chia Hsin and Teng Chun Hsun (13-21, 19-21).
Prior to the quarterfinals, Sindhu had a strong head-to-head record against Supanida (5-3), with their past encounters known for their excitement. This match proved to be no different, demanding both physical exertion and skillful play from Sindhu, who had enjoyed a relatively easy run in the earlier rounds.
The first game continued its nail-biting course. An exhausting rally concluded with Supanida hitting the shuttlecock wide, giving Sindhu another advantage. This time, the Thai player faltered again at the net, prompting a celebratory fist pump from the Indian shuttler.
The intensity remained high even after they switched sides. Both players fought fiercely during some thrilling rallies, with Sindhu eventually edging ahead 10-8. However, Supanida responded quickly, snatching three points to establish a three-point lead heading into the break.
As the match progressed, fatigue seemed to affect Sindhu. Supanida capitalized on this by employing sharp angled returns and extending rallies to disrupt Sindhu's rhythm. Two powerful smashes from Sindhu narrowed the gap to 17-18.
Supanida roared back into contention with two powerful returns aimed at Sindhu's body, earning herself three game points. Unfortunately for Sindhu, she netted another shot, seemingly extinguishing her hopes.
The decider started with a promising 10-5 lead for Sindhu. However, she was unable to maintain control as Supanida surged back with five consecutive points, taking a 14-12 lead. The Thai player even reached five match points, putting immense pressure on Sindhu.
Despite a valiant fightback, including two cross-court smashes and a straight smash, Sindhu could only manage a draw at 20-20. However, two unforced errors at a crucial moment ultimately ended her challenge.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
PCB announces another T20I series to prepare for T20 World Cup 2024
