PV Sindhu vs Akane Yamaguchi, BWF World Tour Finals Highlights: Yamaguchi beats PV Sindhu 18-21, 21-18, 21-8

Women’s singles results from Day 1 at BWF World Tour Finals

Nozomi Okuhara beat Tai Tzu Ying 15-21, 21-18, 21-19

Ratchanok Intanon beat Busanan Ongbamrungphan 21-4, 21-16

Chen Yufei beat He Bing Jiao 21-9, 21-18

Akane Yamaguchi beat PV Sindhu 18-21, 21-18, 21-8

Men’s singles results from Day 1 at BWF World Tour Finals

Chen Long beat Axelsen 21-17, 10-21, 21-17

Chou Tien Chen beat Anthony Sinisuka Ginting 11-21, 21-15, 25-23

Kento Momota beat Wang Tzu Wei 21-10, 21-9

Jonathan Christie beat Anders Antonsen 23-21, 21-16

Yamaguchi continues to dominate Sindhu

Yamaguchi with her third straight win over PV Sindhu and makes the head-to-head 10-7.

Akane Yamaguchi wins!

Akane Yamaguchi with a deft touch for a drop shot and PV Sindhu’s lunge forward to pick it up only hits the net. Akane Yamaguchi wins 18-21, 21-18, 21-8 in 66 minutes. Under 20 minutes for that final game

PV Sindhu 21-18, 18-21, 8-18 Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi going all attack in this third game. Going after the serve with some zest and Sindhu has nothing to offer in return

PV Sindhu 21-18, 18-21, 4-16 Yamaguchi

Just when it looks like Sindhu is drawing something, reducing deficit, Yamaguchi shuts the door on her with merciless hitting.

PV Sindhu 21-18, 18-21, 3-11 Yamaguchi

One way traffic at the mid-game interval in the third game. Yamaguchi in complete control and Sindhu has no answers to offer. A defiant jump smash from Yamaguchi to open up a fat eight point lead

PV Sindu 21-18, 18-21, 0-5 Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi with an incredible start to the third game. A cross court smash having turned defence into attack and the Japanese with a sizeable lead from the word go.

Akane Yagamuchi wins the second game!

Akane Yamaguchi with a cross court half smash and she takes the second game 21-18 in 29 minutes to win the second game and level the match.

PV Sindhu 21-18, 18-20 Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi wins 8th point out of the last 10 and she has two game points to level the match.

PV Sindhu 21-18, 15-16 Yamaguchi

PV Sindhu’s five point lead has been wiped out by Akane Yamaguchi. And she does so with a thundering smash. Now the Japanese leads 16-15 in the second game

PV Sindhu 21-18, 15-14 Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi with three straight points now. Sindhu with uncharacteristic errors and then Yamaguchi with heroic stuff to keep the point going despite Sindhu’s smash trickling over the net. 34 shot rally later, Sindhu with a desperate attempt at getting a smash back but it is into the gallery

PV Sindhu 21-18, 15-11 Yamaguchi

The Japanese player has upped the tempo and Sindhu is finding it tough to keep up with it. But Sindhu has come back to string two points in a row – a smash and then an error by Yamaguchi. She goes for the review but its well out

PV Sindhu 21-18, 11-6 Yamaguchi

PV Sindhu in the driving seat to lead by five points at the break in the second game. Yamaguchi sends the shuttle long and Sindhu judges it successfully. All Sindhu for now unless Yamaguchi pulls something out of the bag now.

PV Sindhu 21-18, 9-6 Yamaguchi

Each time Yamaguchi looks to be cutting close, Sindhu comes roaring back and making the most of her long frame and reach. Extends herself to pick a drop shot and rifles it into the back of the court with Yamaguchi stranded

PV Sindhu 21-18, 5-4 Yamaguchi

What an exhausting rally for both players. Yamaguchi with a desperate dive to pick up a Sindhu drop shot but it opens up the court and Sindhu makes use of the gap. Yamaguchi with a slight smile as she can only see the shuttle go past her. 43 shot rally!

PV Sindhu wins opening game 21-18

PV Sindhu takes the opening game 21-18 in 20 minutes. She read Yamaguchi’s smash very well and was in place to pick it up and sends it back with the Japanese caught in no man’s land.

PV Sindhu 20-18 Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi sends the shuttle long and it brings up game point for Sindhu. But the Indian errs with her drop shot next and the Japanese stays alive. Make that two game points saved. A flying Yamaguchi with a smash at the net to make it 20-18

PV Sindhu 18-15 Yamaguchi

PV Sindhu ends Akane Yamaguchi’s run of four straight points. And does so with some authority! Drop after drop from both players, expecting the other to blink before Sindhu’s attacking intent gets the better of Yamaguchi. A half smash cross court and she extends her gap

PV Sindhu 17-12 Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi claws with one point back. This time she dominates the point and has PV Sindhu moving before closing the point out with a smash

PV Sindhu 15-11 Yamaguchi

Sindhu building the lead here and has a four point cushion in the opening game. Yamaguchi tried to go across for a smash but the angle was far too much

PV Sindhu 11-8 Yamaguchi

PV Sindhu with a three point lead at the break in the first game. And what a point that was! Sindhu with gorgeous drop shots, one after another, side to side, Yamaguchi picking up each one and keeping the Indian going to try and close it out somehow. Eventually she does with a smash. Crowd erupts after an incredible point!

PV Sindhu 7-7 Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi levels the match with a delightful reverse smash while backpeddling. Sindhu nowhere near to the shuttle and failed to read it properly.

PV Sindhu 7-5 Yamaguchi

PV Sindhu getting into better touch now. She’s finding the delicate drop shots and then closing the points out with her imposing smashes.

PV Sindhu 2-4 Yamaguchi

PV Sindhu with an error on the deep return. Contrast in styles between the two players – Sindhu the more attacking player while Yamaguchi continues to get the shuttle back repeatedly.

READY, PLAY!

Akane Yamaguchi to get the match underway. PV Sindhu had won the toss and chosen the far side.

Players on court

PV Sindhu vs Akane Yamaguchi delayed slightly. Before players take court, Sindhu has been asked to change clothes. She has now changed from a yellow dress to a black and white.

PV Sindhu in 2019

Final in Indonesia before the big title at the Worlds in Basel, Switzerland. She has had poor string of results ever since and would be hopeful of changing that this week.

Yamaguchi in 2019

Titles in Indonesia and Japan before hip injury affected her performance. Semis at French Open, Hong Kong Open and Korea Masters.

PV Sindhu vs Akane Yamaguchi

Head-to-head: 10-6 in favour of the Indian but Sindhu lost the last two matches against the Japanese. They met last year also in this tournament where Sindhu won.

PREVIEW

Preview to PV Sindhu and the BWF World Tour Finals just months after her maiden World Championships title.

Chen Yufei wins!

Chen Yufei wins it! She beats He Bing Jiao 21-9, 21-18 in 35 minutes. Three straight points for Yufei to close the match out. She reduces the head-to-head deficit over fellow Chinese to 2-4.

Key results so far:

Chen Long beat Viktor Axelsen 21-17, 10-21, 21-17

Nozomi Okuhara beat Tai Tzu Ying 15-21, 21-18, 21-19

Kento Momota beat Wang Tzu Wei 21-10, 21-9

Ratchanok Intanon beat Busanan Ongbamrungphan 21-14, 21-16