'She's a champion & she played like one': Ashwin, Jaffer, others congratulate Sindhu for entering semifinals at Olympics

Sindhu will next face the winner of the other quarterfinal between Thailand's Ratchanok Inthanon and Chinese Taipei's Tai Tzu Ying.

Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu on Friday stormed into the semi-finals of women's singles badminton at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. She defeated fourth-seeded Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 21-13 22-20 in a 56-minute quarterfinal clash to keep her Olympic medal hopes alive.

India's PV Sindhu celebrates a point against Japan's Akane Yamaguchi during their women's singles badminton quarterfinal match at Tokyo Olympics 2020 (AP)

Sindhu, who won a silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics, came into the match with an 11-7 head-to-head count against the Japanese, whom she had last beaten at the All England Championship in March this year. She is the lone Indian in the fray in badminton after the Sai Praneeth and men’s doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy were knocked out from the Tokyo Games.

Reactions started to pour in on social soon after the Indian shuttler played the final shot and shouted out loud to announce her victory. People from the Indian cricket fraternity came forward to wish Sindhu on her terrific victory.

Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer said, “She's a champion and she played like one. Superb Sindhu Storms into Semis! Congratulations @Pvsindhu1 .”

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also took to Twitter and congratulated Sindhu for qualifying for the semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics.

Indian Premier League franchises wished the ace Indian shuttler on her success in Tokyo.

Earlier on Thursday, Sindhu had notched up a straight-game triumph over Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt, 13th seed, in the pre-quarterfinals. After defeating Yamaguchi, she will face the winner of the other quarterfinal between Thailand's Ratchanok Inthanon and Chinese Taipei's Tai Tzu Ying.

(With Agency Inputs)