Huelva (Spain): Defending Champion PV Sindhu suffered a direct defeat to the familiar and world number one Tai Tzu Ying from China Taipei in the women’s singles quarter-finals to bend from the BWF World Badminton Championship on Friday.
Tai Tzu Top flagship beat Sindhu 21-17, 21-13 in a match that swept energy that lasted 42 minutes.
Sindhu found it difficult to match Tai Tzu’s speed, court coverage and drop shots as had happened many times before even though Indians produce some good cross-traces.
Sindhu, who also stumbled on many unplanted mistakes during the match, always played the game chasing behind.
He managed to do it in the second match at one stage but lose steam later.
The victory extended the head-to-head record between two top 15-5 players supported Chinese Taipei players.
The world number seven and Double Olympic-Medalist Sindhu also lost to Tai Tzu in the Tokyo Games semifinals earlier this year.
Tzu Tzu, on the other hand, avenged his defeat with Sindhu in the 2019 World Championship at the same stage.
Both players – friends from the court – tied 2-2 from the beginning but Tai Tzu shifted teeth quickly to lead 11-6 to the final change in the first match.
Sindhu made a recovery to narrow the gap to 16-18 and then 17-19 with several cross-court smashes.
But Indians cannot maintain the tempo until the end when he widened twice to lose the first match in 17 minutes.
The second game is closer, but once again Tai Tzu leads 11-8 on the end change after Sindhu makes a mistake in the assessment.
But two brilliant smashes where Tai Tzu has no answer to see a gap that narrows only one point at 10-11.
Tai Tzu took the next point but Sindhu produced another cross-court smash to make it 11-12.
The Chinese Taipei player then sent a shuttle to Sindhu to raise the score on 12-12.
Tai Tzu nimble with the next three points but then crashed into a net.
Challenges call lines that fail to see the Sindhu Trail 13-16.
India hit the next internet and could not achieve a drop shot from her great rival for five points at 13-18.
Sindhu continued his unfortunate mistake when he hit wide and then missed the Tai Tzu smash to lose the match.