PV Sindhu’s Resurgent Run Ends in Quarters, Misses Historic BWF Worlds Medal

It was heartbreak for PV Sindhu in Paris as her bid for a historic sixth World Championships medal came to an end in the quarterfinals.

The two-time Olympic medallist went down fighting against higher-ranked Putri Wardani on Friday, August 29, in a thrilling encounter at the Adidas Arena. Sindhu rallied from behind to force a decider, but the 23-year-old Indonesian eventually prevailed, denying Sindhu a medal on National Sports Day.

A year after missing out on a podium finish at the Olympics, Sindhu had signalled she was far from done, coming off a stunning victory over World No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi of China in the previous round. Despite her valiant effort in the quarters, she lost 14-21, 21-13, 16-21 in an hour and eight minutes, narrowly missing the chance to become the first women’s singles shuttler to claim six medals at the World Championships.