PV Sindhu Wins Swiss Open

 

Her Basel fortress, St Jakobshalle, has witnessed groundbreaking performances by the Indian shuttler including the 2019 world championships when she zoomed past top contenders like Tai Tzu Ying, Chen Yufei and Nozomi Okuhara to earn the title.

Busanan's Efforts Couldn't Shake Up Rock-Solid Sindhu

By winning her second Super 300 title of the year on March 27, Sindhu heaved a sigh of relief. Her previous loss in the 2021 Swiss Open final in the hands of Spain’s three-time world champion Carolina Marin had left a deep scar. However, the two-time Olympic medalist created history by becoming the second Indian woman to win the Swiss Open. Saina Nehwal had won the title in 2011 and 2012. Prior to winning her second title of the year, the world number had won the Syed Modi India International in Lucknow.

The Swiss Open finale lasted for 49 minutes that PV Sindhu glided through with ease. The former world champion was the top pick for the tournament after Chinese Olympic champion Chen Yufei bowed out. Sindhu's 16-1 head-to-head record against the world number 11 Thai now makes sense considering how she couldn't outsmart the Indian. After a commendable first game, Busanan's performance dipped in the second one. PV Sindhu secured eight consecutive points to reach 20-4 and converted her fifth championship point to win the title.

Swiss Open Finale 2022 Highly One-Sided

India’s highest-ranked player has kept up the winning momentum in an important year, before the commencement of the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the world championships. Before grabbing her latest title, Sindhu delivered an impressive performance against the Thai. The opening game was leveled at 13-13, but Sindhu was continually ready to attack despite going on the offensive towards the last few points in the set. She attacked at her own will and quickly gained seven more points to close out the opener.

The second game rolled in favor of P V Sindhu as Busanan Ongabamungphhan was struck by P V Sindhu’s powerful retrievals and smashes. The match was almost reminiscent of Marin's 2021 final match against Sindhu. However, she never lost focus and redeemed herself. The ending was already in view when Sindhu reached 11-2. At 20-4, she rested for a few moments and gave away four points to her opponent. Thereafter, she went at it one last time and put an end to Busanan's ongoing struggle at 21-8.

After clinching the Swiss Open 2022 title, Sindhu now has eight Super 300 (or Level 4) titles from 23 outings in Macau, Switzerland and Malaysia. In addition, she has also a Level 3 title in India, two of Level 2 in Korea and China, alongside her Worlds title. It seems like P V Sindhu, a big name in the top tier tournaments, and challenging the best players, is focused on smaller events this season to improve her game and gain more confidence.