P V Sindhu won the Singapore Open Super 500 badminton tournament, prevailing over China's Wang Zhi Yi in the women's singles final, on Sunday.
In a hard-fought title round, the Indian double Olympics medallist stayed strong in the key moments to win 21-9, 11-21, 21-15 over the 22-year-old reigning Asian Championships gold medallist.
The title run will be a big boost for Sindhu, who will lead the Indian charge at the Commonwealth Games, starting July 28, in Birmingham.
This was her third title of the season -- having won two Super 300 crowns in Syed Modi International and Swiss Open -- and an addition to her brimming cabinet which has a gold, two silver and two bronze medals from the World Championships and two Olympic medals.
The 27-year-old from Hyderabad came into the match with a 1-0 head-to-head record over Wang, having beaten the Chinese in their only meeting at the All-England Championships earlier this year.
The toss played a major role in the match, with drift in the hall making life difficult for the shuttlers. Wang's decision to choose the side put her in an advantageous position as she played against the drift after the final change of ends.
However, Sindhu did well to restrict the errors and hold her nerve.
After losing the first two points, Sindhu used her reach to get the shuttle early, played some superb angled returns, and produced one winner after another to stay ahead all the way in the opening game.
Playing against the drift allowed the Indian to go for her shots even as Wang hit wide and long. Sindhu gathered 11 straight points on the trot to zoom into the mid-game interval 11-2 ahead.
She maintained her firm grip on the proceedings after resumption to quickly wrap up the opening game.
The second game, however, turned into a forgettable affair for Sindhu as Wang, now on the better side of the court, displayed her prowess.
The Chinese was soon up 11-3 after the Indian repeatedly sent the shuttle long.
Sindhu tried to use the spinning net shot and the gaps on the court to stage a comeback but scoring points was difficult as Wang continued to move ahead.
At 8-15, Sindhu failed to dispose off a weak return with her opponent on the floor. In the end, a jump smash helped Wang grab a massive 10 game points and she converted it on her second attempt to make a roaring comeback.
The match came alive in the decider as the duo played some long rallies.
While Wang seemed charged up initially, Sindhu was patient and, after an initial duel which saw the scores run neck till 5-all, played a superb smash and finished a long rally with a delectable drop shot to leave her opponent on the floor.
The Indian grabbed a five-point advantage at the interval after another superb cross-court smash from a deep forehand corner.
Back to the better side after the final change of ends, Wang reduced the deficit to 11-12 as Sindhu committed errors.
She, however, established a four-point advantage with a good follow-up shot. Wang played some superb drops and hold-and-disguise pushes to breathe down the Indian's neck, but Sindhu produced an attacking return to move to 18-14 before Wang sent one into the net.
Just two points away, Sindhu hit long before unleashing a smash to finish an intense rally and grab five match-points.
When Wang hit wide Sindhu threw her arms up in celebration.
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