Who won the women’s singles badminton title at the 2018 Commonwealth Games?

Concept

In a knockout tournament, the singles title belongs to the player who wins the final; a result from a different edition cannot determine that title.

To identify the champion, trace the semifinal winners to the final and then use the recorded result of that final.

Application

1. At Gold Coast 2018, Saina Nehwal defeated Kirsty Gilmour 21–14, 18–21, 21–17 to reach the women’s singles final.

2. P. V. Sindhu defeated Michelle Li 21–18, 21–8 in the other semifinal to reach the final.

3. In the final, Saina Nehwal defeated P. V. Sindhu 21–18, 23–21.

Cross-check and contrast

The medal order independently matches the final result: Saina Nehwal received gold and P. V. Sindhu received silver.

• P. V. Sindhu was the finalist and silver medallist.

• Kirsty Gilmour’s campaign ended in the semifinal against Saina Nehwal.

• Michelle Li’s campaign ended in the semifinal against P. V. Sindhu.

Therefore, the 2018 Commonwealth Games women’s singles badminton champion was Saina Nehwal.