PV Sindhu stormed into the final of the women’s singles event at the 18th Asian Games after beating Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in Jakarta. The Rio Olympics silver medallist beat Yamaguchi for a third straight time in a gritty contest where Sindhu won 21-17, 15-21, 21-10. With the win, Sindhu has become the first Indian to reach the final of Asian Games in either singles or doubles.
Sindhu had beaten Yamaguchi at the World Championships in China and most recently in the team event at the Asian Games.
Sindhu started sluggishly making numerous unforced errors but recovered quickly to take control of the match. Despite Yamaguchi’s energetic game, Sindhu stood tall to weather the attack. Sindhu remained solid at the net, using a variety of stroke to force the Japanese player into errors. A long rally ensued at 20-17 but Yamaguchi sent her smash wide to put the Indian ahead.
Sindhu’s error count increased considerably in the second game while Yamaguchi also got her share of the luck of the net at crucial junctures. From a four point lead at one stage, Yamaguchi turned things around dramatically. Fittingly, an error marked the end of the second game.
In the deciding game, Sindhu reeled off four points in a row to shoot to 7-3 before taking the break with a 11-7 lead. She also won a sensational 50-shot rally to pull away 16-8. With such a big lead at hand, Sindhu finished the match in her favour with a superb smash.
