Syed Modi International: PV Sindhu Beats Malvika Bansod To End Title Drought

PV Sindhu won her first title since the 2019 World Championship triumph. This was her second Syed Modi International title. Earlier this year, she lost at the India Open.

PTI

Updated on: 23 January 2022 7:30 pm

PV Sindhu is a two-time Olympic medallist and former world champion.

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu eased past young compatriot Malvika Bansod in straight games to win her second women's singles title at the Syed Modi International badminton tournament in Lucknow on Sunday. (More Badminton News)

Playing in a depleted field due to multiple COVID-19 cases, top seed Sindhu hardly broke her sweat to get past Bansod 21-13 21-16 in a lop-sided title contest.

The final lasted just 35 minutes.

It was former world champion Sindhu's second Syed Modi title after having annexed the BWF World Tour Super 300 event in 2017.

Before that, seventh-seeded Indians Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto clinched the mixed doubles title with a straight-game win over compatriots T Hema Nagendra Babu and Srivedya Gurazada.

Bhatnagar and Crasto inflicted a 21-16 21-12 on the unseeded Indian duo in the summit clash that ended in 29 minutes.

Earlier, the men's singles final between Arnaud Merkle and Lucas Claerbout was declared a 'No Match' after one of the finalists tested positive for COVID-19.

It was expected to be a one-sided women's singles match between world number seven Sindhu and young Bansod, ranked 84th in the world, and it turned out to be exactly that.

Sindhu used her vast experience and skills to great effect as Bansod found it extremely difficult to adjust to her opponent's game from the onset.

The Tokyo Olympics silver medallist took off from the word go and raced to a 7-0 lead in no time. The ace shuttler used her height and reach to great effect to increase her lead to 11-1 at the break.

After the break, Bansod tried to up her game and collected a few points to close the gap but it was no match for a much superior Sindhu, who closed out the first game with consummate ease.

The second game, however, produced a better contest with Bansod trying her best to lift her game, and she did that too, but it was not enough to challenge Sindhu's class.

Sindhu used her height to mix her smashes with pinpoint drop shots, which Bansod failed to counter as the Olympic medallist raced to an 11-4 lead at the break.

Sindhu continued in the same vein even though Bansod tried her best to forge a comeback and in the process secured four points on the trot to reduce the deficit to 17-12.

Bansod managed to pick up four more points but lacked the temperament and class as Sindhu closed out the contest without any fuss.