New Delhi: India’s P V Sindhu on September 17 won her third Super Series title in the women’s singles final of the Korea Open.
In a thrilling encounter that lasted one hour and 24 minutes in Seoul, she beat Nozomi Okuhara 22-20, 11-21, 21-18. Sindhu had lost to Okuhara in an epic World Badminton Championships final three weeks back.
After Okuhara, seeded eight, dominated the proceedings early on, Sindhu managed to save two game points and won the first game before being trounced by a ten-point margin in the second. Sindhu, seeded fifth in the tournament, got her act together in the third and the final game to take the title, her second Super Series win this year after India Open.
Speaking to the Times of India Sports soon after the finals, India’s chief national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand said both the players showed great spirit and determination. “It was almost a repeat of the World championship final, though the result reversed, in our favor. Both players are great champions.”
The latest win helped Sindhu level the head-to-head stats against the Japanese 4-4 and in the process also broke Okuhara’s 14-match winning streak.
The two 22-year-olds, who were involved in the second longest match of women’s singles at the Worlds final, entertained the crowd once again at another major final.