PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth look to turn the tide at BWF World Tour Finals

Premier Indian
shuttlers PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth prepare themselves for the
highly-competitive HSBC BWF World Tour Finals, starting on Wednesday post the
disappointments of the last two weeks.

Sindhu’s comeback to
international badminton after the COVID-19 break was not as good as she would
have expected, reported PTI.

World
Champion Olympic silver medallist Sindhu has been training in London for the
past few months but couldn’t go much far in the opening match of Thailand Open,
after losing very closely. In the quaterfinal match last week, Sindhu was
defeated again by her opponent and former world champion Ratchanok. This continuous
defeat demoralised her, after which she will have to gather herself for her
upcoming matches. who reached the finals in both the Thailand Opens.

Sindhu,
who won the reputable title of “World Champion” in 2018, has been clubbed in
Group ‘B’ against top-ranked Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei who has reached the
finals in both the Thailand Opens and home
favourites Ratchanok Intanon and Pornpawee Chochuwong.

Former World number one Srikanth, on the other hand, has been
clubbed in Group ‘B’ with Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, Chinese Taipei’s Wang Tzu
Wei and Hong Kong’s NG Ka Long Angus, reported PTI.

Also read: Carolina Marin beats South Korea’s An Se-young to enter Thailand Open finals

However, he also couldn’t survive much in match, who had
reached the semifinals of BWF Super Series Masters Finals in 2014. The
player also suffered injuries due to a calf muscle pull, after which he had
pulled out of the first Thailand Open ahead of the second round while he was
compelled to withdraw post the opening round last week when his roommate B Sai
Praneeth tested COVID-19 positive.

Sindhu, jumped from number 17 to number 10 in the Road to
Bangkok Final ranking after a quarterfinal finish last week and further made it
to the season finale due to two rules laid down by the BWF.

Srikanth was rewarded for his quarterfinal finish at Denmark Open Super
750 last October as he sneaked into the top-8 and managed to maintain his
position, despite playing just the first rounds in the last two events.

The Indian duo will have a tough time in defeating their rivals in the
tournament, as per their recent performances and head-to-head records.