Carolina Marin and PV Sindhu face each other in the Women's singles quarter-final of 2017 Singapore Open at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday.
The fourth seed just needed 27 minutes to decimate Chinese Taipei's Chia Hsin Lee 21-7, 21-11 in the second round yesterday. Sindhu, the fifth seed, on the other hand, was tested by Indonesian teenager Fitriani Fitriani in her R16 match, which she won 19-21, 21-17, 21-8 in an hour.
Today's quarter-final is the second time the two shuttlers are meeting in BWF tournaments this year, with Sindhu beating Marin in the final of India Open last month. Ever since, they met at the final of Rio Olympics last year, the two shuttlers have grown from strength to strength.
While the Indian shuttler has gone on to win two Superseries titles after her defeat in the gold medal match in Rio de Janeiro, the world number two has been title-less but has produced consistent performances in the recent past.
While there is little to separate the two shuttlers on paper - a 5-5 head-to-head record - Marin heads into the tie with a slender advantage due to her recent form. The 23-year-old, put behind her India Open disappointment, and continued her dominance in Malaysia Open earlier this month only to lose to world number one Tai Tzu Ying in the final.
Sindhu though will take confidence from her recent win over her arch-rival. The 21-year-old, after facing a first-round exit in Malaysia, buckled up and saw off a stiff challenge from world number 10 Nozomi Okuhara as early as in the first round. While both shuttlers are known for their attacking game, it will all come down to which one of them handles the pressure better on Friday.
TV Schedule
India: Star Sports 2
Malaysia: Astro Supersport
Singapore: StarHub Sports
