Badminton
Tai Tzu-ying takes revenge of 2016 Rio Olympics, 2019 World Championships against Sindhu
Tai Tzu-ying stormed in the Tokyo Olympics final by sweeping away India's PV Sindhu.
Tai Tzu-Ying won the All England 2020, the BWF World Tour Finals 2020 and reached the final of the Tokyo Olympics. (Getty)
Tai Tzu-Ying (Chinese Taipei) took the perfect revenge of her Rio Olympics 2016 debacle by easing past PV Sindhu (India) in straight games to smash her way into the Tokyo Olympics 2020 final.
Tzu-Ying faced PV Sindhu in an uphill battle at the Round of 16 of Rio Olympics 2016. Sindhu rode on her exquisite hitting of the shuttle and with the support of an overwhelming Indian crowd behind her to take the first game, 21-13. Tzu-Ying was no match for her in the second game either as she went out crashing 21-15. PV Sindhu went on to defeat Wang Yihan (China) and Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) before settling for the Silver against Carolina Marin (Spain) in the Olympic final.
Adding to that, PV Sindhu also stepped up in the 2019 World Championship to oust Tzu-Ying yet again in a major title win. The Taiwanese took the first game 21-19 in the quarter-finals before Sindhu hit back in her own style, taking the next two games, 23-21 and 21-19, and eventually won the gold medal.
5 years down the clock, the two Southpaws were up against each other and Tzu-Ying was not the same shuttler anymore. With an overwhelming 13-5 advantage on the head to head record against PV Sindhu, one might argue that the Taiwanese was the favourite before the clash especially as she was ranked World No.1 before the game as opposed to Sindhu's rank at No. 6 in the world.
Tzu-Ying had also won the most recent game between both of them, being the BWF World Tour Finals in January 2021. The game started on an even note with PV Sindhu clutching on to her lead through most part of the game before Tzu-Ying shifted gears to oust the Indian and take the first game, 21-18. Tzu-Ying was in full throttle in the second game and a tired PV Sindhu succumbed to a comfortable defeat of 21-12 in the second set as the Taiwanese enters the Olympic final.
Tzu-Ying will now face Chen Yufei (China) in the Olympic final while PV Sindhu will hope to salvage Bronze in the play-off tie against He Bingjao (China).
