By: Pramod Thomas
INDIA’s PV Sindhu created history on Sunday (1) as she became the first woman ever to win two individual Olympics medals for the country.
She won the match against China’s He Bing Jiao 21-13, 21-15 to claim the bronze medal. She lost in the semi-final on Saturday (31) to Tai Tzu-Ying.
Sindhu had lost the final of the women’s singles event at the 2016 Rio Olympics to settle for a silver medal.
On Sunday, she was off the blocks immediately with a clutch of winners and took a 4-0 lead in the first game. An unforced error from Sindhu gave the Chinese her first point and she made it 2-4 with a well-played point at the net.
An unforced error put Sindhu 5-2 ahead, but Bing Jiao played a great cross-court shot to end a long rally and then won a couple of points on the bounce to tie the first game at 5-5.
Bing Jiao continued to force Sindhu to play at the net but the Indian was up to the challenge and went ahead 8-6. The two players played out a great rally with Sindhu leading 9-8 as Bing Jiao produced some great defensive play, but the Indian closed out the point with a powerful smash to go ahead 10-8. Sindhu took her advantage to 11-8 with another smash as the two players went into the mid-game break.
Sindhu eventually closed out the first game 21-13 to take the lead in the match.
Sindhu was off early again in the second game as she made two good line calls and then played a great cross-court smash to go up 4-1. Bing Jiao won a couple of points to bring the deficit down to just a point but Sindhu produced another solid smash to end a rally and go up 6-4.
Bing Jiao won a couple of points on the drop to close the gap but then committed two unforced errors to go up 10-7. Sindhu eventually went into the mid-game break leading 11-8.
Sindhu kept the pressure on her Chinese opponent, never letting her in with a chance as she took an 18-14 lead. Bing Jiao won a point but Sindhu made her commit an unforced error to go up 19-15.
Sindhu raced to match point with another scintillating smash and then won the bronze medal by closing the second game 21-15
