New Delhi, Aug 19: 24 hours after wrestler Sakshi Malik ended India's excruciating wait at the Rio Olympics by winning a bronze, shuttler PV Sindhu+ extended her terrific form at the ongoing Games by outclassing world no 6 Japanese Nozomi Okuhara in the women's singles semi-finals to seal country's second medal on Thursday.
At the Olympic Golf Course, 18-year-old Aditi Ashok+ has continued her solid performance in the second round, finishing tied 8th after another 3 under par 68.
Sindhu has a chance at becoming the second ever individual gold medalist from India if she manages to topple world no 1 Carolina Marin in the summit clash, who has been in sublime touch herself.
Exploiting her height-advantage to the hilt, the 21-year-old Indian unleashed a deadly combination of back flips and cross-court smashes over the diminutive Okuhara to which she had no answer. In fact, Sindhu began tentatively in the first game which also happened to be the phase when the semi-final looked to be a close affair. However, as the match progressed, Sindhu steadily improved to eventually win 21-19.
Sindhu was down 3-5 initially in the second game but egged on by a vociferous support from the partisan crowd, that kept chanting her name; she gathered her wits to draw level at 5-5 and then quickly opened up a lead at 7-6. It was a seesaw affair but then Sindhu ran away with the game and the match, outclassing Okuhara in a dominating fashion as clearly suggested by the scoreline of 21-10.
Sindhu became the first shuttler from India to make it to the final of the event in Olympics and if her form is any indication, she is well set to give Spaniard Marin a tough fight in the gold medal match scheduled for Friday (18:55 IST).
Earlier in the day, wrestler Babita Kumari+ lost her opening bout in women's 53kg category 1-5 against Maria Prevolaraki of Greece.
Babita, a former world championship bronze medalist, lost after Prevolaraki managed to successfully wriggle out of her leg holds in both the periods to take lead. The only point that the 26-year-old Indian secured was due to the 30-second passivity rule.
Later on when Prevolaraki lost in her next round, it also ended Babita's hopes of winning a bronze via repechage. With her exit, curtains were drawn on Indian campaign in women wrestling.
Parallel to the hoopla surrounding Sindhu's historic achievement, another Indian athlete was slowly plotting her way to a potential Olympic medal.
Golfer Aditi has raised hopes as she stands just four strokes off the pace at tied 8th after the second round of the women's individual event.
Only four strokes separate Aditi, the youngest in the field, from the leader Inbee Park of Korea after she fired a second successive three-under 68 on Thursday.
Aditi (68-68) is tied 8th with five others.
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