Defending world champion Sindhu faces tough challenge

Huelva (Spain), December 11

Indian badminton star PV Sindhu will hope to raise her game to the highest level when she launches her title defence at the BWF World Championships, which begins here tomorrow.

Sindhu has been in impressive form in recent weeks as she claimed her second silver medal at the season-ending World Tour Finals after three successive semifinals finishes at the French open, Indonesia Masters and Indonesia Open.

The 26-year-old two-time Olympics medallist will look to cap her season with a successful defence of her World Championships title, which she had claimed two years ago in Switzerland.

The tournament has lost a lot of sheen with the withdrawals of the entire Indonesian contingent and other elite players such as two-time winner Kento Momota in the men’s section, while the women’s field has also been depleted after the withdrawal of three-time champion Carolina Marin and 2017 winner Nozomi Okuhara. Also, it will be the World Championships that India’s Saina Nehwal, the 2015 silver medallist, will miss in her career due to injuries.

Tough task

While Sindhu will fancy her chances, retaining the title will very difficult as she will face a stiff challenge from top seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei, South Korean teen sensation An Seyoung and ninth seeded Thai Pornpawee Chochuwong.

Sindhu, who has got a bye in the first round, will open against Martina Repiska, whose first-round opponent Ruselli Hartawan also pulled out. A win will put her face-to-face with Pornpawee, who has defeated the Indian twice in their last two meetings. If Sindhu can get across the Thai, she is likely to be pitted against Tai Tzu. — PTI