Rio: PV Sindhu sets up summit showdown against World No. 1 Marin

Rio de Janeiro, Aug.18 (ANI): India's badminton star PV Sindhu has assured India of at least a silver medal in the ongoing Rio Olympics, as she booked her place in the finals of the women's singles event with a straight-game victory over Nozomi Okuhara of Japan here on Thursday. After sweeping aside her Japanese opponent in the first game, the 21-year-old lanky shuttler from Hyderabad continued her rich vein of form to dominate the second game as well. Sindhu, the two-time bronze medallist at World Championship, registered an emphatic 21-19, 21-10 victory in the thrilling semi-final contest that lasted 49 minutes to become only the second woman player in badminton to win an Olympic medal after Saina Nehwal. Sindhu will also become the fifth Indian woman to clinch a medal in Olympics history after Karnam Malleswari, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal and Sakshi Malik. In addition to this, Sindhu will also become the first Indian woman badminton player to win a Gold or Silver medal in the prestigious quadrennial event. Earlier, Sindhu had kicked off her Rio Olympics campaign with a 22-20, 21-19 victory over Yihan Wang of China in a gruelling quarterfinal contest. Sindhu, who has assured India of its second medal in the ongoing Olympics after bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, will now play the gold medal match against Spaniard World No. 1 Carolina Marin.(ANI)