Picture Credit: Twitter
One of India's brightest medal prospects in Tokyo is undoubtedly badminton star PV Sindhu. The 26-year-old won silver medal at Rio 2016 and is one of the favourites to clinch gold medal at Tokyo 2020. However, the journey was never going to be easy as Sindhu faced a bug hurdle in the quarter-finals stage. She was up against Japan's Akane Yamaguchi on Friday in what was being anticipated as one of the matches to watch out for in the Round of 8.
The match certainly lived up to the expectations as both the female shuttlers showed their class. However, Sindhu was at top of her game when it mattered the most as she eventually sealed the victory 21-13, 22-20 to clinch her berth in the semi-finals. As it stands, she is now just 1 win away from securing another historic Olympic medal.
I'm happy but it's not over yet: PV Sindhu
The Indian badminton player was certainly pleased with her performance on Friday which was visibly reflected through her reactions after the win. However, she understands that the job is far from over as she faces world no. 1 Tai Tzu-ying in the semi-finals on Saturday. Reflecting on the same, she said, "I’m happy but it’s not over yet. For me it’s time to go back, relax and get ready for the next match. I’m happy but I need to prepare for the next match.”
Talking about the match against Yamaguchi, Sindhu added that she never got nervous in the all-important second game despite losing a few points. "I knew she is going to come back even though I was leading. I was prepared for it. There were long rallies and a few unforced errors from my side as I hit a few smashes. Apart from that I was happy that I closed the match at the end,” Sindhu said while talking to media in Tokyo.
The netizens were extremely happy to see PV Sindhu peaking at the right moment as she got one step closer to securing another medal at Tokyo 2020. While some were scarde about her mega clash in semis against Tai, others were confident that Sindhu is destined for a gold medal this year. The fans sent their wishes and blessings to India's top athlete from across the country.
