new york: PV Sindhu stunned world No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi of China to storm into the quarterfinals of the World Championships, while the doubles pairing of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto pulled off a shock win over fifth seeds Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet, here Thursday.
The 15th ranked Sindhu, who won the world title in Basel in 2019, took 48 minutes to prevail 21-19 21-15 in the pre-quarterfinals to lead head-to-head record against the Chinese 3-2.
The 30-year-old Indian will now face world No. 9 Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia in the quarterfinals. Sindhu is now just one victory away from securing a record-equalling sixth World Championships medal.
The Indonesian had beaten Sindhu in straight games at the Sudirman Cup earlier this year, though the Indian had prevailed in their Asian Games round-two clash in 2022.
“When I stepped onto the court, she was like any other player for me. I knew it’s not going to be easy from round one in a World Championship. You have to fight for every point, every rally. I wanted to give my 100 per cent,” Sindhu said after the match.
A five-time World Championships medallist, Sindhu made a bright start in the opening game, racing to an 11-6 lead at the mid-game interval with a flurry of sharp smashes and net winners.
Wang fought back strongly to level at 19-19, but the Indian held her nerves to pocket the game.
“Of course, Wang Zhi Yi is a very good athlete, but it was not in my mind. I had to just be consistent and keep the shuttle in. I knew there would be long rallies… even though I was leading, she didn’t give up. I was prepared for her pace changes, the tough smashes, and I was always quick on my feet,” Sindhu said.
In the second game, Sindhu kept up the pressure, once again opening up a 11-6 cushion at the break.
A stunning 57-shot rally briefly tested her, but she regained control with decisive attacking play, closing out the match.
Sindhu thus extended her remarkable record against Chinese shuttlers at the Worlds, having previously beaten Wang Yihan (2013), Wang Shixian (2014), Li Xuerui (2015), Sun Yu (2017) and Chen Yufei (2017 and 2019) in earlier editions.
“It’s just one match at a time for me. I never thought about two rounds ahead or one round ahead. For me, it’s not over yet. I need to come back tomorrow much stronger, and be prepared for everything,” she added.
The most-decorated Indian shuttler has endured an inconsistent year so far, with a quarterfinal finish at the India Open in January being her best result of 2025.
Since then, she has endured three consecutive opening-round exits and managed to reach the second round on four occasions. “Obviously there’s not much to prove, but at the end of the day, you know, there were lots of ups and downs. There were injuries. Things have not actually happened according to what I wanted. My coach told me one thing: ‘just play your game and give your best, irrespective of the result’. That’s what mattered
for me here.”