P V Sindhu, Sai Praneeth enter semifinals of World Championships

Basel, August 23

India’s P V Sindhu assured herself of a fifth medal at the BWF World Championships after reaching the semifinals with a come-from-behind win over Asian Games gold medallist Tai Tzu Ying of Chinse Taipei here on Friday.

Sindhu, who won back-to-back silver medals in the last two editions of the prestigious tournament to go with two bronze, edged past former world no 1 Tzu Ying 12-21 23-21 21-19 in a pulsating quarterfinals contest.

The 24-year-old, who is also an Olympic silver medallist, will take on the winner of the match between China’s Chen Yu Fei and Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt in the semifinal on Saturday.

Praneeth assured of medal

India’s B Sai Praneeth recorded a stunning straight-game win over Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie to seal the semifinal spot and end India’s 36-year agonising wait for a men’s singles medal at the BWF World Championships here on Friday.

World No. 19 Praneeth, who was awarded the Arjuna Award this year, notched up a 24-22 21-14 win over Asian Games gold medallist and World No. 4 Jonatan in the quarterfinals to assure himself of a medal at the prestigious tournament.

Badminton legend Prakash Padukone was the first Indian to win a men’s singles medal—a bronze—in the 1983 World Championship.

Praneeth had won the Singapore Open in 2017 and finished runner-up in the Swiss Open early this year. PTI