New Delhi, August 19: Indian badminton star PV Sindhu has advanced to the women’s singles pre-quarterfinals of the BWF World Championship 2026. On Wednesday, she secured a victory against Canada’s Zhang Wen Yu at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, winning 21-16, 21-17. In the round of 16, Sindhu will face China’s third-seeded player, Wang Ji Yi, who defeated Malaysia’s Karuwathewan Lethshana with a score of 21-16, 21-9.
Sindhu enters her next match against the Chinese player with full confidence, having never lost to her in previous encounters. She emphasized her commitment to giving her all in this match. After her win, Sindhu told reporters, “This victory boosts my confidence. I have played against Wang Ji Yi several times, and as we meet again tomorrow, I believe we know each other’s games well. I need to be prepared for a long match.”
“It won’t be easy, and you can’t expect to score points effortlessly. When playing against a top-ranked player, you must be ready for every situation. Tomorrow will be similar; I just need to give everything and perform at my best. That’s what matters because when you step onto the court, you have to adapt accordingly. This isn’t new for me, and I’m not playing against her for the first time. Since we understand each other’s games, we must ensure we keep making necessary adjustments,” she added.
Sindhu acknowledged that she made some mistakes in her last match but is determined to perform with even more enthusiasm in front of her home crowd. She stated, “It could have been better, as I made some errors that shouldn’t have happened. I should have controlled those. However, the support from the home crowd was incredible. I thank the fans present and hope they will support me again tomorrow. I believe that with their support, I can give my best and achieve victory.”
Recently, Sindhu claimed the title at the Japan Open and appears to be in excellent shape. She aims to avoid injuries, saying, “Everything is going well. I need to focus on one thing at a time and ensure that if any changes are needed, we discuss them as a team and make informed decisions. Overall, this year has been good so far, and I hope it will get even better in the coming months. I just need to stay focused and ensure I give my best every time while avoiding injuries. I think that’s very important.”
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has officially approved a new 3×15 point scoring system, set to be implemented internationally from January 4, 2027, replacing the traditional 21-point system. Regarding this change, Sindhu remarked, “I think it’s completely different. It will be exciting and will require a lot of effort. You need to be alert from the first point. You can’t easily score points or afford to lose 5-6 points and then focus on the next five. In a 21-point game, there was time to come back, but I don’t think that will be the case in a 15-point game. It will be very interesting and obviously a much faster game.”
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