This is an archive article published on December 17, 2021

BWF World Championships: PV Sindhu falls to Tai Tzu in quarter-final

PV Sindhu played a reactive game against Tai Tzu-Ying, partially because the Taiwanese has always read her, and on days when she doesn’t spill errors, Sindhu has no way to crack her.

3 min readUpdated: Dec 18, 2021 08:03 AM IST

PV Sindhu suffered a defeat against Se Young. (AP)

PV Sindhu has a Tai Tzu-Ying problem. Though rediscovering how to beat the Taiwanese might well push Sindhu into all the improvements she undertakes between this 21-17, 21-13 loss in the World Championships quarterfinals and the All England, a title she craves more than any other as 2022 rolls in.

Not at any point in her career has Sindhu allowed a mental demon to build around a particular opponent, as has conjured in the form of Tai. Five losses in the last five face-offs will irritate the Indian, though she gave it her everything at Huelva.

Tai Tzu rained drops around Sindhu on Friday. Used usually as a surprise element, Tai Tzu rubbed salt into wounds by making the stop-drops and slices almost commonplace while still managing to root the Indian to a spot. There was no masking of the action from Tai. Just that Sindhu would get tangled between speeding to retrieve and enforced inertia, unsure of whether to move back or forward. Tai was arresting her momentum, and prosecuting her indecision to score winners.

Despite brilliant efforts, @Pvsindhu1 won’t progress further at #BWFWorldChampionships2021 but what a year it has been for 2️⃣ time Olympic medalist.

You did well champ, get some rest, see you in 2022 🙌#WorldChampionships2021 #IndiaontheRise #Badminton pic.twitter.com/ARTS2q2QUA

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) December 17, 2021

No plan

Sindhu played a reactive game against Tai Tzu, partially because the Taiwanese has always read her, and on days when she doesn’t spill errors, Sindhu has no way to crack her.

Specific interventions – like booster shots – can work to upset Tai Tzu’s rhythm, but Sindhu gets stuck in sort of a frenzied rut, from where she struggles to come out. Alternatively, Sindhu can smash her way out with a very incisive attack, but if Tai Tzu is not shaken a little, made to think, put off her pace, she settles into her perfect little magnificence of gorgeously deceptive strokes, and can retrieve everything.

Sindhu’s struggled with Plan A in recent times, and has no confidence in a Plan B when she’s kept busy trying to read Tai Tzu’s next tricky bundle. Alongside Marin and Saina Nehwal, Tai Tzu is one player who has accurately figured out Sindhu, and she will, going forward, need to alter her mindset fundamentally while needing on-court improvements, if she has to get past the Taiwanese. An Olympic final and now a Worlds podium are costly stages to lose out on, for want of a strategy. A draw throwing her into the pit against either Marin or Tai Tzu is always imminent. Five losses signal to the drawing board.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More

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