2 min readApr 9, 2026 09:18 AM IST
It is not secret that Wang Zhi Yi finds the PV Sindhu matchup to be a terrible headache. The tall Indian can simply go ballistic when the fancy takes her, as she did at the World Championships of 2025 to end Zhi Yi’s challenge early.
However in January this year, the Chinese World No 2 seemed to have her revenge stopping Sindhu’s stellar run at the Malaysian Open Super 1000. Zhi Yi won 21-16, 21-15 in the semis.
She also went on to hunt bigger dragons like An Se-young at the All England.
But the Indian – fired up to prove a point after she endured a terrible travel day to All England when she was stuck at Dubai – is out to prove a point.
At 30, it is plainly clear that Sindhu’s best chances of getting in the big upsets, are at the start of the tournament – in early rounds, when she isn’t exhausted. So a Zhi Yi confrontation this early will only be welcomed by her. The confidence in beating her can propel her momentum thereafter. Having missed Birmingham where she was primed for a good show – the Asian Championships become the next logical target to let out her steam.
That was evident in her first round against Wong Ching Lin where she literally snatched victory from the brink of another fade out, on sheer drive and hunger.
As such Sindhu is at her dangerous best; she has always bested the leading Chinese of the day through her 13 years, sooner or later, and is 3-3 in H2H against Zhi Yi. The All England champ knows there’s a taller wall in her path before she even comes up against An Se-young.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
