Report: Indian shuttler PV Sindhu defeated former world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in straight games in their women's singles semi-final at the 2018 BWF World Tour Finals on Saturday.
PV Sindhu will take on Nozomi Okuhara in the final. STR/AFP
The 23-year-old Olympic silver medallist, who has not lost to World No 8 Intanon in the last two years, breezed into the final after quashing her Thai opponent 21-16, 25-23 in 54 minutes.
The World No 6 from Hyderabad — who entered the semi-finals after defeating Beiwen Zhang of the US 21-9, 21-15 on Friday — dominated the first game, winning it in 20 minutes after grabbing an initial 6-4 lead.
Intanon bounced back in the second game but Sindhu did not lose nerve and won it in a nail-biting finish to wrap up the match.
Sindhu will now play against Japan's Nozomi Okuhara in the final on Sunday.
With inputs from IANS
Updated Date: Dec 16, 2018 12:03:10 IST
Highlights
PV Sindhu wins the BWF World Tour Finals!
PV Sindhu's patient display against a spirited Nozomi Okuhara made the difference at the end. The Indian ace gets her first World Tour gold after taming No 2 seed 21-19, 21-17. No more silver lining, it's time for the golden aura to shine.
Sindhu 21-19 Okuhara
Okuhara involves Sindhu in yet another long rally, but the Indian was smart enough to find an acute angle to hit a drop shot. Sindhu takes the first game!
LIVE NEWS and UPDATES
12:01 (IST)
That's it from us on this glorious Sunday morning made even more glorious by the history-making PV Sindhu! Thank you!
12:00 (IST)
Silver has finally turned gold for PV Sindhu!
11:58 (IST)
The wait is over for PV Sindhu!
Sindhu doesn't have to settle for second best anymore. As Gopichand once said: 'It will come'.
The time has finally come.
11:54 (IST)
PV Sindhu wins the BWF World Tour Finals!
PV Sindhu's patient display against a spirited Nozomi Okuhara made the difference at the end. The Indian ace gets her first World Tour gold after taming No 2 seed 21-19, 21-17. No more silver lining, it's time for the golden aura to shine.
11:43 (IST)
Sindhu 19-16 Okuhara
What a finish that was! Sindhu seems really calm at the net, which has allowed her to move freely from the mid-court area.
11:43 (IST)
Sindhu 18-16 Okuhara
Okuhara did well to attack but eventually, she committed yet another costly error at the net. Sindhu with the opportunity to put pressure on Okuhara.
11:40 (IST)
Sindhu 17-15 Okuhara
Okuhara hits a magnificent reverse slice drop to close the gap. Sindhu still has the advantage.
11:39 (IST)
Sindhu 15-13 Okuhara
Okuhara wins a 48-shot rally and she is nowhere near giving up. Both players showed great determination to clear from the back and hit winners.
11:37 (IST)
Sindhu 14-12 Okuhara
The Indian controls her net shots to perfection and opens up a two-point lead yet again.
11:33 (IST)
Sindhu 12-11 Okuhara
Okuhara is slowly catching up by hitting it deep. It is a much better display from Sindhu in the second game, however, she must bag points quickly to cause damage.
11:30 (IST)
Sindhu 11-9 Okuhara
Sindhu's patient display has earned her a string of points. Okuhara is kept at bay for the major part of the match.
11:24 (IST)
Sindhu 7-7 Okuhara
Shift in momentum? Okuhara is keeping it simple. She is retrieving everything thrown at her from the other half of the court. This tactic has caused a headache to many.
11:21 (IST)
Sindhu 6-4 Okuhara
The Indian has managed to maintain a two-point lead over Okuhara. She needs to win the psychological battle too.
11:19 (IST)
Sindhu 4-2 Okuhara
Sindhu draws the Japanese towards the net and plays a delicate push clear to earn a point. Okuhara was slow to react.
11:17 (IST)
Sindhu 3-0 Okuhara
The Indian ace picks up two points in a jiffy. She uses one of her challenges to take the commentators by surprise. It's a great start for Sindhu.
11:16 (IST)
Sindhu 21-19 Okuhara
Okuhara involves Sindhu in yet another long rally, but the Indian was smart enough to find an acute angle to hit a drop shot. Sindhu takes the first game!
11:14 (IST)
Sindhu 20-19 Okuhara
The Japanese saves two match points to put Sindhu under massive pressure. Sindhu looks a little jaded.
11:12 (IST)
Sindhu 19-17 Okuhara
And Okuhara hits the shuttle wide! She plays two flat smashes in a hurry and messes up badly.
11:08 (IST)
Sindhu 16-16 Okuhara
The long, tiring rallies are proving to be a handful for Sindhu. Okuhara has successfully prolonged rallies, much to the annoyance of Sindhu.
11:07 (IST)
Sindhu 16-15 Okuhara
Excellent net play from Okuhara there. She has finally found her rhythm. Sindhu looks really uncomfortable at the net after the mid-game break.
11:02 (IST)
Sindhu 15-13 Okuhara
Crosscourt drop shots galore! Sindhu's defence is exposed by Okuhara's deceptive strokes from the backhand.
11:01 (IST)
Sindhu 15-12 Okuhara
The Japanese shuttler is slowly catching up. She has shown the much-needed urgency to control the pace of the rallies. Okuhara trails by three points
10:59 (IST)
Sindhu 14-9 Okuhara
Three consecutive points for Okuhara. Sindhu hesitates to lift the bird from the tramline and gifts two points to Okuhara.
10:58 (IST)
Sindhu 14-6 Okuhara
An over-the-head smash takes Okuhara by surprise. Sindhu is targetting the Japanese shuttler's backhand corner.
10:55 (IST)
Sindhu 11-6 Okuhara
A well-deserved five-point lead for Sindhu at the mid-game interval of the opening game. On the other hand, Okuhara is yet to match up to her opponent's fast-paced game from the mid-court. Sindhu has the advantage.
10:55 (IST)
Sindhu 10-5 Okuhara
A 44-shot rally turns in favour of Sindhu, who was waiting patiently for Okuhara to make an error at the net. The Indian is using her height to find angles.
10:50 (IST)
Sindhu 7-3 Okuhara
Yet again, the Japanese commits a rare error at the net. Sindhu has used her reach to stretch Okuhara, who seems to have lost focus.
10:46 (IST)
Sindhu 4-1 Okuhara
Okuhara's retrieving skills will be put to test. The Japanese looks a little bit sluggish from the backcourt. Sindhu opens up a three-point lead.
10:46 (IST)
Sindhu 1-1 Okuhara
Both players hitting the net in the early exchanges. Expect a few sharp crosscourt clears before the mid-game interval.
10:43 (IST)
PV Sindhu vs Nozomi Okuhara
PV Sindhu gets us underway!
10:42 (IST)
PV Sindhu vs Nozomi Okuhara
10:36 (IST)
PV Sindhu vs Nozomi Okuhara
Sindhu and Okuhara take to the court to a rousing reception from the Guangzhou crowd! The final is just minutes away!
10:21 (IST)
Head-to-head record
Look how close their head-to-head record is! Nothing much to separate these two top shuttlers. Since 2017, the wins have alternated between the two. If the trend continues today, we might see Sindhu ending up on the losing side.
10:12 (IST)
PV Sindhu makes it to her second successive final
It was a memorable match that touched dizzy heights for its sheer quality — the sparkling strokeplay and never-say-die spirit of both combatants, and a fascinating tug-of-war on strategy in the second game. Read Shirish Nadkarni's take on the semi-finals here.
10:03 (IST)
Hello and welcome to Firstpost's live coverage of the BWF World Tour Finals. India's PV Sindhu takes on Nozomi Okuhara in the women's singles final. Stay tuned for live updates!