Highlights, Dubai World Superseries Finals 2017: PV Sindhu into semi-final, Srikanth bows out of tournament

And that’s a wrap.

PV Sindhu wins 21-13, 21-12 in just 36 minutes. 

 The Indian ace dominated proceedings right from the toss and the Japanese shuttler was completely outplayed by Sindhu especially in the second game. Sindhu has now booked a semi-final berth at the Dubai World Superseries Finals

17-7! Sindhu is decimating Sayaka Sato in the second game. Seven successive points and the match is more or less sealed in favour of the Olympic silver medallist who is 4 points away from booking her place in the semi-final

4-1! Sindhu races to an early lead in the second game. She will hope to end the game as soon as possible and confirm a semi-final berth

21-13! Sindhu clinches the opening game with relative ease outplaying Sayaka Sato who showed glimpses of what she is made of, but Sindhu gained the upper hand pretty early in the game and never allowed the Japanese shuttler to catch a breather

19-11! Sindhu has raced to open the lead in the opening game and is now two points away from winning the game

15-10! Sindhu has increased the lead after the break. For every point won by Sato post the interval, Sindhu has managed to win one too and this is keeping her ahead of the Japanese Shuttler

11-8! Sindhu goes into the mid-game interval with a three-point lead. Sayaka has made a decent comeback after trailing 4-9 at one point.

9-4! Sindhu is racing away in the opening moments of the game. A five point lead in the initial minutes allows Sindhu to hold the advantage

7-3! Sindhu scores four successive points to take the lead in the opening game.

3-3! The Japanese shuttler raced to a 2-0 lead in the opening minutes of the game, but Sindhu turns the tide soon enough to level the scores

Both players are now on the court and are warming up for the last singles game of the day

Welcome back and it is time for the last singles match of the day where India’s PV Sindhu takes on Sayaka Sato of Japan. If Sindhu wins, she confirms a semi-final berth at the Dubai World Superseries Finals.

Time for a break!!! We will be back in a couple of hours with the other singles match of the day where India’s PV Sindhu will be taking on Japan’s Sayaka Sato. If Sindhu wins the match, she is confirmed a place in the semi-finals of the Dubai World Superseries Finals. 

Join us in 2 hours for the live scores and updates from Day 2 of the Dubai SSF

It is Chou Tien Chen who wins 21-18, 21-18! defeating Kidambi Srikanth in a 43-minute encounter. The speed of the Chinese Taipei shuttler proved too much for the Indian to handle at the end who managed to stage effective comebacks in various moments of the game but didn’t manage to sustain it long enough. A well-contested match and Chou Tien Chen held on to his nerves to edge out Kidambi Srikanth and stay alive in the tournament.

18-18! Srikanth makes it level by ending on the right side of a well-contested rally with a smart smash

17-16! Srikanth with a slender 1-point advantage. The unchecked unforced errors from the Indian shuttler is costing him in the 2nd game. Will he be able to enforce a decider?

15-12! It is a rejuvenated Chou Tien Chen who made his return from the break. Though Srikanth is in the lead, the Chinese Taipei shuttler is slowly increasing his pace and it could be a bother for Srikanth who was seen in a lot of discomfort in the opening minutes of the match due to the speed of the game.

11-9! A glorious defence shot by Srikanth gives him a 2-point advantage at the break. It is a completely different Srikanth so far since that comeback of sorts in the opening game. He has dictated proceedings with a medley of shots that has not allowed Chou Tien Chen to use his pace and regain lost ground. But, the increasing number of unforced errors is a point of concern for the Indian shuttler

8-6! Srikanth wins back the serve after a couple of his drop shots fail to make the crossover to Chou Tien Chen’s side

6-4! What a cross-court smash to maintain the lead. Srikanth stays on top in this 2nd game.

2-2! Srikanth wins the first points in the second game and Chou Tien Chen returns the favour with two points of his own to level the scores. Chou Tien Chen’s pace has been the key difference and it would be interesting to see if the Chinese Taipei player can maintain this pace throughout the game to unsettle the Indian shuttler

21-18! This time Chou Tien Chen converts. Srikanth scored six straight points, but that return to Chou Tien Chen’s body shot falls wide to give the Chinese Taipei player the game.

20-16! What a good rally! Srikanth and Chou test each other with cross-court smashes and slice shots. Srikanth has now won 4 successive points to stay alive in the opening game

20-12! Game-point opportunity for Chou Tien Chen who has built up such a big lead that it looks like a daunting task for the Indian ace

16-8! That was one sharp cross-court smash from Chou Tien Chen to take an 8-point lead in the opening game. Srikanth looks out of sorts against the overall onslaught by Chou Tien Chen so far in the game

11-6! A well-judged leave by Kidambi gave him the serve, but a smash that failed to cross the net gives Chou Tien Chen a 5-point advantage at the interval of the opening game.

7-4! Chou Tien Chen is still in the lead. A couple of well-placed smashes and drop shots has given the Chinese Taipei player the edge in the opening game of the match against Kidambi Srikanth

5-1! Tien Chen opens up an early lead in the game. He has mixed his shots effectively so far in the game to not allow Srikanth space to settle

No 2 seed and World No 4 Kidambi Srikanth and No 5 seed from Chinese Taipei, Chou Tien Chen, enter the court now amid loud cheers from the crowd at the Dubai World Superseries Finals

It is time for the men’s singles match between Kidambi Srikanth and Chou Tien Chen. It is an important match for both players, especially after their losses in their opening games on Wednesday

Shi Yuqi wins seven consecutive points to clinch the game and match. What a comeback by the young Chinese shuttler to defeat the World No 1 Viktor Axelsen in a thrilling three-game encounter whose score read 13-21, 21-18, 21-17! at the end of 73 minutes.

21-18! What a turnaround by the young Chinese shuttler. Shi Yuqi has held on to the lead at the mid-game interval to finish this game in his favour. Shi Yuqi tested the Dane to his limits, matching the World No 1 smash to smash and drop to drop. We are now into the decider

11-7! It has been a decent showing so far from Shi Yuqi who has now taken a 4-point lead at the interval. Axelsen looks rather subdued so far in the match, but from what we’ve seen so far of Axelsen in the tournament, it is never wise to write the Dane off and will this match go into a decider or will Axelsen up the ante and claim the game and match?

21-13! Viktor Axelsen wins that opening game of his second match in the Dubai World Superseries Finals. It has been a clinical performance so far from the Dane who seems to be overwhelming the Chinese shuttler to make a lot more unforced errors.

11-8! Shi Yuqi has displayed impressive tenacity in his inaugural year-ending Superseries Finals to move up from 4-9 down to go into the mid-game interval with just a 3-point deficit against the World No 1 Viktor Axelsen. The Dane has been raining powerful smashes one after the other but the Chinese shuttler has fought back hard

It is time for the men’s singles match between World No 1 Viktor Axelsen and former World No 2 Shi Yuqi from China. Both players are now on the court and both these players are coming into the game riding on victories against Kidambi Srikanth and Chou Tien Chen respectively

Ratchanok Intanon enters semis

What a fantastic attacking display from the Thai ace. From shot selection to on-court movements, everything was on point for Intanon who unsettled Tai Tzu Ying in both the games. What’s astonishing is that Intanon continued to focus on covering the court as it is one hell of a task to get the better of Tai in the second game. 

With that win, she is through to the semi-finals, while Tai will have to play a do-or-die match tomorrow.

19-16! Is that it? 

Intanon is two points away from winning her second straight match of her group. This has been a brilliant match so far for the former champion.

18-14! A healthy four-point lead for Intanon in the second game. Tai looks to have run short of ideas after the mid-game interval.

15-12! Intanon plays a delicate slice drop to take Tai by surprise and extend her lead by three points. The Chinese Taipei ace is stretched at the forecourt.

11-10! Intanon leads by a single point at the mid-game interval of the second game against Tai. The Thai ace mixed her shots pretty smartly from the base position to deceive her opponent.

7-7! It’s neck and neck in the second game between Intanon and Tai. We can see how the rallies have caused problems for both the shuttlers.

Intanon takes 1-0 lead

The Thai shuttler managed to outsmart the World No 1 Tai after the mid-game break to win the first hurdle 21-18. A close game but Intanon looked more confident while playing strokes from the side of the court. It will be interesting to see how Tai responds.

19-17! Tai squanders the opportunity to hit a flat smash and ends up hitting wide. Intanon gets another point as she inches towards an opening game win.

16-15! What a turnaround 

Four straight points for Tai as she begins to launch attacking strokes and smashes from the mid-court. She has successfully pushed Intanon towards the sidelines.

13-10! Intanon seems to have taken the control of her shots after the mid-game break. Her strokes and positioning have been excellent.

9-9! Tai Tzu Ying levels the score as we approach the mid-game break of the opening game. Intanon has been pushed towards the backcourt at times

6-4! Intanon has started the opening game confidently. The Denmark Superseries Premier champion hits consecutive attacking strokes to take a two-point lead.

The second session gets underway! 

Ratchanok Intanon is in action against defending champion and World No 1 Ta Tzu Ying. Both the shuttlers have the ability to turn the game around in no time and that’s what makes this clash one of the best matches to watch out for today.

That brings us to the end of the first session of the second day. 

The second session will begin at 2:30 IST, where India’s Kidambi Srikanth, PV Sindhu, Viktor Axelsen and Tai Tzu Ying are slated to play their second group matches.

Chen Yufei beats Sung Ji Hyun

The Chinese shuttler rallied past her opponent with ease in 39 minutes to register a comprehensive 21-16, 21-13 win. Chen’s flick shots from the net did the damage in both the games as Sung couldn’t lift the shuttle from the sidelines. With that loss, the Korean is out of the showpiece event. 

It’s 18-13 to Chen in the second game as the Chinese shuttlers is just three points shy of claiming a well-deserved straight-game win over Sung Ji Hyun.

Lee Chong Wei qualifies for the semi-finals!

Chen Yufei wins opening game: 21-16

The 19-year-old Chinese shuttler has the upper hand in this important group clash after sealing the opening game. Sung needs to up her defensive strokes to stop Chen from attacking from the mid-court area.

Next up, Sung Ji Hyun will be in action against Chen Yufei of China in a group match. Both shuttlers are known for their range and variety of shots.

Akane Yamaguchi beats He Bingjiao to top Group A

It wasn’t an easy victory for Yamaguchi but she looked comfortable throughout the match despite losing focus in the second game. He couldn’t match up with the fast-paced game of Yamaguchi in the third game and looks like her campaign is all but over. 

At the mid-game break of the third game, it is Yamaguchi who leads 11-5 against He Bingjiao. Looks like she will run away with the healthy lead**.**

He Bingjiao bounces back, claims second game 21-13

China’s 20-year-old He proved to be a handful for Akane Yamaguchi in the second game with excellent court coverage and drop shots near the sidelines. Despite winning the opening game convincingly, Yamaguchi succumbed to the pressure after the break.

Ng Ka Long Angus beats Son Wan Ho: 21-15, 13-21, 21-16

The Hong Kong ace outsmarted Son in an 80-minute encounter to seal his first win of the group. Ng relied on his brilliant overall game where he mixed his strokes well from the front of the court to take an early lead and finish the game quickly.  

Meanwhile, Akane Yamaguchi wins the opening game against He Bingjiao. 

A 21-14 win for the Japanese ace who has been hitting booming smashes to outclass He. The second game gets underway.

11-8! Ng has a three-point lead over Son in the mid-game break of the decider. The Korean shuttler has been troubled by a series of unforced errors since the start of the all-important game.

Son Wan Ho claws back: 1-1

The Korean wins the second game 21-13 to send the match into the deciding game. The former World No 1 played an attacking game with a series of deceptive strokes from the baseline to unsettle Ng.

Son Wan Ho leads 15-10 in the second game. Ng hasn’t been able to push Son towards the backcourt after a fantastic first-game win.

Ng Ka Long Angus takes the opening game 21-15 against Son Wan Ho. 

The Hong Kong ace has taken his defensive opponent by surprise in the first stanza. The Korean shuttler will look to force this match into a decider.

Here’s the schedule:​

Men’s singles: 
Son Wan Ho vs Ng Ka Long Angus (Group A)
Viktor Axelsen vs Shi Yuqi (Group B)
Kidambi Srikanth vs Chou Tien Chen (Group B)

Women’s singles:
Tai Tzu Ying vs Ratchanok Intanon (Group B)
PV Sindhu vs Sayaka Sato (Group A)
Akane Yamaguchi vs He Bingjiao (Group A)
Sung Ji Hyun vs Chen Yufei (Group B)

Hello and welcome to Firstpost’s live coverage of Day 2 of the Dubai World Superseries Finals. We will bring you the live scores and updates from a host of mouth-watering fixtures as world’s top shuttlers cross swords in the final Superseries event of the calendar year. 

So, stick around and cheer for your favourite shuttler!