Highlights, India Open 2018, Final match: Beiwen Zhang beats PV Sindhu to win title

Beiwen Zhang wins the first major title of her career!

The American saved a match point against the defending champion and defeated PV Sindhu 21-18, 11-21, 22-20. Congratulations, Beiwen, the #IndiaOpen champion! pic.twitter.com/2tTveMPgNz

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) February 4, 2018

P V Sindhu tried very hard but ends up with the silver medal in Yonex Sunrise #IndiaOpen 2018. She had a terrific run in the tournament and played brilliantly in the final too. Tough luck to the champ! pic.twitter.com/Bb1Qe6qice

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) February 4, 2018

Zhang is the new giant-killer. At least, in this tournament. She defeated Saina Nehwal in straight games, got the better of Cheung Yi in the semis and now stunned defending champion PV Sindhu in a thrilling contest. Remember, she doesn’t travel with a coach. After struggling for five years without a coach or a manager, she has finally managed to hire one. The 27-year-old was mentally better than Sindhu on the night

Beiwen Zhang wins the India Open 2018 

Sindhu squanders a match-point opportunity at the net. Beiwen Zhang showed tremendous composure despite being under pressure and manages to win the next two crucial points to win the match 21-18, 11-21, 22-20!

PV Sindhu goes down fighting in a three-game thriller. USA's Beiwen Zhang wins the #IndiaOpen title after a 21-18, 11-21, 22-20 win over the defending champion

LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO pic.twitter.com/hRw2VsaJfa

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

19-19! Sindhu smashes her way right back into the match to level the scores in this all-important decider

18-17! Zhang still in the lead but that jump smash from Sindhu wins her back the serve#IndiaOpen
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

16-15! Another rally and another deceptive push by Zhang. Nerves of steel at the moment. Sindhu is being stretched at the back.

This is turning out to be a thriller. Zhang is getting outfoxed at the net. The crowd erupts as Sindhu takes another point to lead 15-14!

14-13! Sindhu is all pumped up as she takes the lead in the decider. Will she be able to successfully defend her title?#IndiaOpen
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

11-11! Sindhu wins five of the lasts six points to level the scores in the decider. It has been a Sindhu show so far in the last few points. Will she be able to hold on to this new-found aggression and successfully defend her title

Sindhu is coming back strongly. Was that a fist bump from Gopichand? That should help Sindhu now!

Tensed moments as Sindhu trails 9-11! at the mid-game interval of the decider

10-6! Zhang opens up a four-point lead over Sindhu in the decider. She isn’t doing anything extraordinary but she has hit the shuttle with precision and her placement has been top notch. Sindhu must find a way to cut short the rallies.

9-4! Zhang zips past Sindhu with impressively delivered net-shots that gets the better of the defending champion. The Indian ace is letting the game slip away gradually

4-4! What a rally there! Zhang wins the point with a drop shot that falls just outside Sindhu's reach#IndiaOpen
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

3-3!  Zhang levels the scores in the decider after Sindhu’s cross-court shot falls wide

And it is time for a decider. #PVSindhu wins the 2nd game with a comfortable 21-11 margin. Excellent comeback by the Indian ace #IndiaOpen
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

Sindhu pushes this match into a decider. She wins the 2nd game 21-11! After beating Ratchanok in the semis last night, Sindhu spoke about how her attacking prowess made the difference. Similarly, the 22-year-old shuttler has delivered a barrage of attacking shots with variation to surge ahead against Zhang and enforce a decider

15-10! The rallies are causing problems for Sindhu, who looks a bit tired after the mid-game break. Zhang is just pushing everything that has been thrown at her. This surely reminds us the World Championships final where Nozomi Okuhara retrieved brilliantly and relied on rallies to edge past Sindhu.

13-10! Beiwen Zhang seems to be a different player after the mid-game break of the 2nd game. She has won six of the last eight points. Sindhu is still in the lead

The top seed shuttler is coming close to the net after hitting the shuttle back. This has allowed her to create an opening and kill the rally quickly. Looks like Gopichand’s words after the first game is slowly working.

11-4!  Sindhu goes into the mid-game break with a comfortable 7-point lead. She needs to continue putting pressure on the American shuttler if she hopes to enforce a decider

8-2! Sindhu looks a completely different player in the 2nd game. She has taken an early lead. A decider on the cards? #IndiaOpen
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

6-2! Sindhu looks to be in better touch after that break. She has taken an early lead in the 2nd game. This match looks to be getting into a decider

Sindhu has applied too much power in her forehand strokes from the net. It is surprising to see how Sindhu has squandered clear-cut opportunities against Zhang

21-18! Pin drop silence inside the Siri Fort Indoor Stadium as Sindhu loses the first game by three points. Beiwen Zhang’s forehand drives haven’t been easy to read, especially when the shuttles are slow.

19-17! Zhang now opens up a 2-point lead in the opening game. She is now two points closer to clinching the 1st game#IndiaOpen
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

Both players are fighting for every point after the mid-game break of the opening game. Sindhu was right when she had predicted that Zhang would prolong the rallies in between. Zhang is keeping her cool against an ultra-aggressive Sindhu

13-12! Beiwen Zhang takes the lead once again in this roller-coaster of a Final that is seeing the lead change hands with every point

Cheers of “Sindhu,Sindhu"is reverberating all across the stadium

11-9! A calm and composed Sindhu goes into the mid-game break with a 2-point advantage #IndiaOpen
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

9-9! Beiwen wins back the serve with a well-directed body smash. Sindhu looks much more composed now than opening minutes of the game.

8-8! The crowd erupts after Sindhu levels the score once again with the American shuttler #IndiaOpen
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

7-5! Beiwen Zhang in the lead after hitting a jump smash winner. Sindhu’s return in the next point meets the net to allow the American shuttler to have a 2-point lead

3-3! Sindhu levels scores in the opening game of the final with three consecutive points of her own #IndiaOpen
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

3-0! Beiwen Zhang opens up an early lead in the women’s singles Final.

This baddie battle is about to start. Sindhu and Zhang are on court. Time for Yonex Sunrise #IndiaOpen 2018 FINAL!

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) February 4, 2018

It is time for the #IndiaOpen women's singles final between @Pvsindhu1 and Beiwen Zhang
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

In the previous 4 encounters between these two shuttlers, Sindhu leads 3-1 in head-to-head count

Time for the big final! 

Defending champion PV Sindhu takes on tournament underdog Beiwen Zhang in the title clash. Recent records suggest that Sindhu has the upper hand against Zhang but the Indian should be aware of her opponent’s rally-based game. This is Sindhu’s title to lose.

Over to you, Sindhu.

Firstpost correspondent previewing the women’s singles Final between PV Sindhu and Beiwen Zhang 

Get ready for this super clash!

Beiwen Zhang stands between PV Sindhu's title defence. The women's singles FINAL of Yonex Sunrise #IndiaOpen 2018 starts shortly. pic.twitter.com/eY6aBQzh4o

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) February 4, 2018

The men’s doubles match is underway after which it will be time for the last match of the day — The Women’s singles Final between PV Sindhu and Beiwen Zhang

Shi Yuqi said, “I was watching Chou’s semi-final game against Qiao Bin and I analysed how he played. I didn’t allow him to shut me down with attack. So, it’s a proud moment for me.”

It is China's Shi Yuqi who wins the #IndiaOpen men's singles title. He defeated Chou Tien Chen 21-18, 21-14.
Shi becomes the first Chinese men's shuttler to win the title#IndiaOpen
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO pic.twitter.com/PM6iOJ1jld

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

18-13! Shi Yuqi is three points away from winning the India Open Men’s singles title. Will Chou Tien Chen be able to stop the Chinese shuttler from doing it?

15-10! Shi Yuqi opens up a five-point lead after yet another unforced error from Chou Tien Chen

11-6! It is Shi Yuqi this time who goes into the mid-game interval with the lead. Will Chou Tien Chen enforce a decider?#IndiaOpen
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

6-4! Shi Yuqi is maintaining a 2-point lead in the second game. But Chou Tien Chen's netplay seems to be working better now#IndiaOpen
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

2-1! Shi Yuqi takes the lead in the 2nd game with a cross-court winner followed by a drop shot that falls just out of the reach of Chou Tien Chen

Shi Yuqi conjures a revival of sorts after trailing 12-16 at one point of the game to clinch the opening game 21-18! in 24 minutes. Shi Yuqi mixed his shots well to outwit the third-seeded Taiwanese shuttler

19-17! Shi Yuqi wins 9 of the last 10 points to open up his lead in the 1st game of the men’s singles Final

17-17!  Shi Yuqi levels the scores with a last-minute shot change that resulted in flummoxing Chou Tien Chen. An important point for the Chinese shuttler to win

16-12! Chou Tien Chen is now amassing points with his netplay that is leaving Shi Yuqi heaving on the other side of the net#IndiaOpen
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

14-12! Chou Tien Chen continues to be in the lead even though Shi Yuqi is adding pressure on the Taiwanese shuttler

Mathias Christiansen and Christinna Pedersen are crowned the mixed doubles champion of Yonex Sunrise #IndiaOpen 2018. The Danes defeat Indonesia's Praveen Jordan and Melati Oktavianti 21-14, 21-15 to emerge victorious. 👏 pic.twitter.com/5CwSmimJpN

— Premier Badminton League (@PBLIndiaLive) February 4, 2018

11-7! An intense exchange of shots there, but it is Chou Tien Chen who wins that point and goes into the mid-game break with a 4-point advantage.

7-4! Last year's runner-up Chou Tien Chen has taken an early lead in the opening game of the Final #IndiaOpen
LIVE: https://t.co/Yk2yHE1DUO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) February 4, 2018

2-2! Chou Tien Chen’s netplay is being answered by Shi Yuqi’s attacking play in a fascinating contest between two top-class shuttlers in the men’s singles final of the India Open

In the only previous encounter between these two players, Shi Yuqi emerged victorious.

Last year’s runner-up and third seed Chou Tien Chen will look to one step better this year when he takes on fourth seeded Chinese shuttler Shi Yuqi

In the first singles match of the day, China’s Shi Yuqi takes on Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan for the men’s singles title

The Danish duo of Christinna Pedersen and Mathias Christiansen have won the mixed doubles title after defeating the Indonesian pair of Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti 21-14, 21-15 in 37 minutes

Matches of the day

Chou Tien Chen vs Shi Yuqi

Marcus Gideon/Kevin Sanjaya vs Kim Astrup/Andres Rasmussen

PV Sindhu vs Beiwen Zhang

Hello and welcome to Firstpost’s coverage of the India Open Finals