BWF World Championship 2021 Highlights: HS Prannoy crashes out; Kidambi Srikanth, Lakshya Sen in semis

An emphatic victory for Tai Tzu-ying! A cruising victory for the Taiwanese shuttler and PV Sindhu fails to defend her title. 

Same errors being repeated here. The Indian sends a smash wide again and it allows Tai Tzu-ying to make a comeback. Four points on the trot.

A resurgent start yet again after the interval from the Indian. Sindhu takes two points at the start, succumbs to the drop shot and then forces an error to draw level in the second game.

Brilliant end to the first half yet again for Tai Tzu. Plays across towards the backline and Sindhu – once again – has an error of judgment.

And there's the drop shot again. Tai Tzu continues to trouble Sindhu with these drops as she clings onto the momentum this time. Three points on the trot.

That will sting Tai Tzu. She had been the dominant one in this rally but sends out a cross-court smash wide. Both have been going neck-to-neck so far with Sindhu using her height a lot more efficiently,

Good start but errors continue. What could've been a relatively easy cross-court winner is sent far wide by Sindhu. Tai draws level at 3-3 with an excellent smash.

And the Taiwanese takes the first game. It was a good resurgence from Sindhu after the interval but continual errors hurt the Indian. She had pulled it close on 17-19 but sent a crosscourt just wide. Can Sindhu keep the momentum going? 

Excellent play from Sindhu! The Indian is putting pressure on Tai Tzu-ying. She forces the Taiwanese across the court before putting the rally to rest with a smash across. A couple of errors earlier from Sindhu which could've been avoided, and which - still - keep Tai Tzu in command.

Better from Sindhu. She got wrong-footed a lot before the interval but she makes a good recovery. A couple of unforced errors from Tai Tzu, followed by a cross-court smash from Sindhu as she takes three points. Still a long way to go, though.

What an end to the first half! Undoubtedly the best rally of the game and Tai Tzu drops a cross-court deception again. Sindhu seemed to be holding back a little and we might see a more aggressive approach after the interval.

Bang on the money, Tai Tzu. Sindhu is not getting her lengths right and it almost seems a continuation of the second game of the Tokyo Olympics semi-finals. Tai Tzu

Attacking start from the Taiwanese shuttler. Sindhu takes the first point but lets the shutttle drop on the backline twice. Tai Tzu, then, comes back hard, and pulls out her deception shot across the court.

Right, then. Time for action. PV Sindhu and Tai Tzu-ying set to take each other for the 20th time.

PV Sindhu is chasing her sixth podium finish at the BWF World Championship. A defending champion at Basel 2019 edition, Sindhu won silver medal in the 2018 and 2017 editions, while winning bronze in 2014 and 2013.

Along with Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen also reached quarterfinals in men's singles. All the three shuttlers will take part in their respective quarterfinal matches today.

“We are playing again now after Olympics. I just want to give my best, no matter what. It's not going to be an easy match, I need to be prepared for a long rally and a big match. So from my side, I will give my 100%," Sindhu told the BWF ahead of the marquee clash.

It was a spectacle of sorts. Tai Tzu took the first game with relative ease (21-12) but Sindhu made an incredible turnaround to resist the Taiwanese shuttler, winning the next two games 23-21 21-19. Incidentally, that match was also a quarterfinal.

Sindhu may be the reigning world champion, but he would need to unleash her beast mode against the current world no.1. Tai Tzu cruised past Sindhu in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics semis, securing a straight-game victory (21-18, 21-12). The Taiwanese enjoys a comprehensive 14-5 record against Sindhu.

PV Sindhu headlines India's action on Day 6 as she takes on arch-rival Tai Tzu-ying from Taiwan. Sindhu, the current defending champion, had defeated Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand to secure a quarterfinal berth.