Malaysia Masters: PV Sindhu overcomes slow start, outlasts Busanan Ongbamrungphan in an 88-minute thriller to reach first final in more than a year

It is a rivalry, so to speak, that extends as far back as 2012 but Busanan Ongbamrungphan has never really managed to crack the code against PV Sindhu. Before Saturday, the Thai shuttler had faced Sindhu 18 times and lost 17 of those matches. But in the semifinal of the Malaysia Masters, she came out firing, almost playing with a lightness of feet that comes with a nothing-to-lose attitude.

Sindhu might have dominated this Head-to-Head over the last 12 years, but a measure of the difficulties she faced in Kuala Lumpur could be summed up with this stat: it was only in the 49th point of the match that the Indian managed to string together three straight points.

But, once she did that to take an 8-7 lead in Game 2 after dropping the opener, Sindhu didn’t look back. As it turned out, that point is when the momentum swung. Sindhu wouldn’t trail for a single point after that, as she won an epic semifinal that lasted 88 minutes 13-21, 21-16, 21-12 to reach her first final on the BWF World Tour since April 2023.

Sindhu makes it to her 1️⃣st final this year & 4️⃣th in #Super500 events after an exceptional comeback win 13-21, 21-16, 21-12 🥳🚀

Well done Sindhu 🫶

📸: @badmintonphoto@himantabiswa | @sanjay091968 | @Arunlakhanioffi #MalaysiaMasters2024#IndiaontheRise#Badminton pic.twitter.com/XtqcCaLOnv

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) May 25, 2024

Sindhu has won more matches against Busanan than anyone else in her career, but from the moment they walked out on court, there was a sense of something different. Sindhu, usually quite cheerful before a match, seemed subdued. Busanan, always a character on court, walked out with a beaming smile. Without ascribing too much importance to body language, that contrast reflected in the early passage of play as Sindhu played with a heaviness that comes with pressure. The Thai world No.20 on the other hand, opted for flair.

In what was a sign of things to come, the match began with a 31-shot rally that Busanan won with some deft touches at the net before getting the length spot on with her forehand clear. Sindhu would continue to struggle with her judgment of where the shuttle was landing in the opening game but stayed in touching distance when the Thai was predominantly trying to keep Sindhu pinned to the backcourt.

The momentum truly started to swing when Busanan brought out the acute crosscourt flicks at the net with both her forehand and backhand. It threw Sindhu off as she dropped the opening game rather comprehensively.

But the point at 7-7 in the second game would give Sindhu the foundation to build her comeback. Apart from being the first time she managed to string together three straight points, it gave her the antidote to neutralise Busanan. She mixed up her punch clears to the backcourt before drawing Busanan forward with a tight spinning net shot, and off the defensive lift, she got the height to put away a smash down-the-line. That 1-2 punch from Sindhu would pop up more often from that moment on.

Sindhu has won more matches against Busanan than anyone else in her career, but from the moment they walked out on court, there was a sense of something different. (BWF/Badminton Photo)

Decisive rally

In what was another decisive rally in the match, Sindhu needed that combination more than once, as Busanan tried to hang in on defence at 14-17 down. And importantly, Sindhu started reading Busanan’s cross court shots at the net better, getting good height on her defensive lifts.

It not only gave Sindhu the chance to force the decider but also to impose herself on the match at the start of Game 3.

As she had done against top seed Han Yue in the quarterfinal, Sindhu appeared fitter, sharper and hungrier at the start of the decider. She put the foot on the pedal to race to an 8-2 lead, roaring and fist-pumping every chance she got. From not being able to impose sustained pressure, she wasn’t allowing Busanan to breathe easy, even though there were a few long rallies.

Sindhu told BWF later that the 17-1 H2H coming into the match didn’t matter because they were playing after a while, and both their games have changed. “There were really long rallies. Until the last minute, we were not leaving the shuttle,” she said with a chuckle. “I was just keeping the shuttle in the court in however many rallies we were playing. Losing the first game and winning the second game was very important for me to maintain that lead. In the third game it was important for me to go from the first point itself. Maintaining that lead definitely made a difference,” the former world champ said.

The semifinal win takes Sindhu one step closer to ending a title drought that extends back to July 2022, when she won the Singapore Open and Commonwealth Games gold back-to-back. She came close in Madrid last year but was blown away in the final after a good week. On Sunday, it will be tough against China’s Wang Zhi Yi, the reigning Asian champion.

Sindhu leads the H2H 2-1 but Wang won the last time they met at the Arctic Open semifinal in 2023. “It’s not over yet. There’s one more match to go. When I win that, maybe I’ll be much happier,” Sindhu said, adding that more than the result she’s hoping to put in a good performance tactically.

It won’t be easy, but for the second time this week, Sindhu gets a chance to take on one of the top Chinese shuttlers in the world and show she is close. After all, taking on Chinese shuttlers is how Sindhu won most of her major medals. This ain’t a major tournament – there’s only one of those in 2024 – but it would present a significant milestone for Sindhu.

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