Tokyo 2020, Sindhu vs Yamaguchi as it happened: Indian star clinches brilliant win to reach semis

Tokyo 2020, badminton: PV Sindhu showcased her transformation in superb win over Akane Yamaguchi

SEMI FINAL LINEUP:

Quarterfinal 4, Ratchanok Intanon 21-14 18-21 18-21 Tai Tzu Ying: WORLD NO 1 THROUGH FOR A BATTLE WITH PV SINDHU! Intanon is in tears, she cannot believe this is over, she played so well.

Quarterfinal 4, Ratchanok Intanon 21-14 18-21 18-20 Tai Tzu Ying: An error from MAY and TTY has 2 match points

Quarterfinal 4, Ratchanok Intanon 21-14 18-21 18-18 Tai Tzu Ying: Great spirit from both players.

Quarterfinal 4, Ratchanok Intanon 21-14 18-21 17-15 Tai Tzu Ying: 7 of the last 8 points for Intanon from 10-14 down.

Quarterfinal 4, Ratchanok Intanon 21-14 18-21 15-15 Tai Tzu Ying : It is once again all level in the decider!!

Quarterfinal 4, Ratchanok Intanon 21-14 18-21 10-11 Tai Tzu Ying : MAY FIGHTS BACK!

Quarterfinal 4, Ratchanok Intanon 21-14 18-21 7-11 Tai Tzu Ying : Mind you this is one of the most prolific rivalries in the women’s. Thirtieth match ongoing, TTY lead s 15-14. THEY HAVE JUST PLAYED THE RALLY OF THE TOURNAMENT!!!!

Quarterfinal 4, Ratchanok Intanon 21-14 18-21 4-4 Tai Tzu Ying : “This is getting better and better, it’s like a chess match at the moment.”

Quarterfinal 4: WE HAVE A DECIDER! Sensational fightback from Tai Tzu Ying

Quarterfinal 4: TTY has three game points.

Quarterfinal 4: TTY COMES STORMING BACK! She has turned it around to lead 18-15.

Quarterfinal 4: A late rally from TTY? She is fighting hard in the second game, gap down to 12-14.

Quarterfinal 4: It is all a bit erratic at the moment from TTY Ratchanok Intanon is leading Tai Tzu Ying 21-14 11-8!

Quarterfinal 4: Ratchanok Intanon is leading Tai Tzu Ying 21-14!

END OF MATCH: Sindhu 21-13 22-20 Yamaguchi in 56 mins

Some of you have asked if this means Sindhu is assured a medal like Lovlina was. No, badminton requires a bronze medal playoff between losing semifinalists. Sindhu will now face the winner of Tai Tzu Ying and Ratchanok Intanon.

END OF MATCH: Sindhu 21-13 22-20 Yamaguchi in 56 mins

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Every time I came to tweet “great point Sindhu”, “what a rally”, “sensational court coverage Yamaguchi”, there was another point already done. That 54-shot rally in the second game was breathtaking. What a win for PV Sindhu. Watched the match on livestream so I can hear court sounds more clearly. The roar from Coach Park at the end was longer and arguably louder than Sindhu’s when she converted the match point! Brilliant from Yamaguchi too, to fight back as she did.

END OF MATCH: Sindhu 21-13 22-20 Yamaguchi in 56 mins

Ashish Magotra: PV Sindhu has the uncanny ability to raise her game when it matters most. Perhaps it can be taught but Sindhu clearly is a natural. She was exhausted at the end of it. What a match! What a win!

Zenia D’Cunha: SINDHU WINS IN STRAIGHT! This was so, so good from Sindhu. Attacking, problem-solving, holding her nerve, saving game points, getting it done! Almost makes you forget she’s barely had regular match practice. Into the SEMIS!

Second game, Sindhu 21-13 22-20 Yamaguchi: UTTERLY UTTERLY GRIPPING GAME OF BADMINTON!

Second game, Sindhu 21-13 22-20 Yamaguchi: PV SINDHU WINS!!!! WHAT A MATCH!!!

Second game, Sindhu 21-13 21-20 Yamaguchi: A CROSSCOURT LIFT TO SET UP A SMASH TO AY’S FOREHAND AND SHE HAS A MATCH POINT!

Second game, Sindhu 21-13 20-20 Yamaguchi: GAME POINTS SAVED! Pushed into a corner, Sindhu comes up with two great attacking points. And we are all level.

Second game, Sindhu 21-13 18-20 Yamaguchi: From 8-14, two game point opportunities to Yamaguchi. A stunning dribble winner at the net by the Japanese.

Second game, Sindhu 21-13 18-18 Yamaguchi: Shorter points are the way to go for Sindhu. Lucky net chord and she uses that to make it 18-18.

Second game, Sindhu 21-13 16-18 Yamaguchi: Oh it is a 2-point lead for AY! Sindhu struggling physically.

Second game, Sindhu 21-13 16-16 Yamaguchi: AY has the lead at 16-15 and Sindhu makes it 16-16 immediately. But the Indian is really feeling the pace now. This is Yamaguchi territory, she thrives here.

THAT WAS A 54-SHOT, 62-SECOND RALLY!

Second game, Sindhu 21-13 15-14 Yamaguchi:WHAT A RALLY! WHAT A RALLY! Both players are gasping for breath. *54 shots I believe. Felt more than that, but that breathtaking from both players but it is AY who wins the point with a smash to Sindhu’s backhand. Six of the last 7 points for the Japanese. THIS IS NOT OVER.

Second game, Sindhu 21-13 15-13 Yamaguchi: AY has reduced the lead to three points and that leads to a big roar from Sindhu when she breaks the run. But Yamaguchi again reduces the lead to three... oh and then a big error from SIndhu while going for the kill. TWO POINT GAME NOW.

Second game, Sindhu 21-13 14-8 Yamaguchi: OH WHAT A DROP SINDHU! She is back-pedalling and shapes to play a smash but drops it instead. That would have made Tai Tzu Ying proud. And the previous point had left AY on her haunches too. Body language wise there seems to be only one winner at the moment.

Aditya Chaturvedi: A bit of desperation creeping into Yamaguchi’s game now. She would’ve hoped to do better after switching sides but Sindhu seems to be using the drift to her advantage. The Indian is playing a near flawless game at the moment.

Second game, Sindhu 21-13 11-6 Yamaguchi: One way traffic at the moment and it is Sindhu calling the shots. “Sindhu is playing with the same sort of form that took her to gold in Basel,” says Gill Clark at the change of ends.

Second game, Sindhu 21-13 10-5 Yamaguchi: This is quite relentless from Sindhu at the moment. Don’t often see Yamaguchi searching for solutions on the court. Right now she is just responding to what Sindhu is throwing at her.

Second game, Sindhu 21-13 6-4 Yamaguchi: Very important for Sindhu to try and close this in two games because everyone knows how good the Japanese can be in marathon matches. She is not taking the foot off the pedal here. Booming smash from Sindhu gives her a 6-4 lead and coach Park is asking her focus on the spee.d

Aditya Chaturvedi: A dominant first game from Sindhu. Yamaguchi won two spectacular points towards the end but the Indian wasn’t rattled a bit. Sindhu is perhaps at the top of her game at the moment.

First game, Sindhu 21-13 Yamaguchi: Another rally that Sindhu is on the backfoot for but she challenges this call (back to back reviews) and this one is good! Gives her 7 game points and the Indian needs just one. Well, that was breathtaking alright.

First game, Sindhu 18-13 Yamaguchi: Oooh, drift! There was no way this was landing in it looked like, but the drift brings it back in. Another good point for AY and she is clawing back at Sindhu’s lead.

First game, Sindhu 18-12 Yamaguchi: OH WHAT A POINT! Another fantastic net exchange and Sindhu thinks she has won this rally after a backhand at AY’s body but the Japanese shows great reflexes to send the shuttle back; Sindhu can only smile.

Aditya Chaturvedi: Sindhu seems absolutely unfazed, which has been one of the highlights of her campaign so far. Mixing aggression with superb defensive skills. Yamaguchi attacking her backhand a lot but the Indian is coming up with the right answers. The Japanese is coming up short despite giving it her all.

First game, Sindhu 17-11 Yamaguchi: WHAT A POINT! YAMAGUCHI GIVING EVERYTHING BUT SINDHU WINS IT! A sensational dive by the former world No 1 after a lengthy exchange that Sindhu dominated, the Indian keeps her calm and finishes the point.

First game, Sindhu 16-11 Yamaguchi: More good net play from Sindhu, more praise from Frost.

First game, Sindhu 14-10 Yamaguchi: “In the beginning we would have never Sindhu play that spinning shot,” says Frost as Sindhu plays a terrific point that had a stunning net exchange between both players. Sindhu got the lift right and ended up winning that point. AY takes the next as both players exchange serves.

First game, Sindhu 13-9 Yamaguchi: Morten Frost on air reckons on air that the Indian should go for the smashes every chance she gets and not pick-and-choose as her game plan seems to be currently. She goes for one here and nets it though!

Aditya Chaturvedi: Sindhu started off a bit passive but switched tactics quickly to race ahead. The match has been on her racket up until now. Yamaguchi not helping herself by making a number of errors, struggling with the drift going down the court from her end.

First game, Sindhu 11-7 Yamaguchi: INTERVAL! Two brilliant smashes to Yamaguchi’s backhand side from Sindhu and the Indian takes a handy lead into the break. She has overturned an early deficit. Early days, this is a small lead for a big match like this

First game, Sindhu 9-7 Yamaguchi: The longest rally so far 26 strokes. Average rally 10 strokes.

First game, Sindhu 8-7 Yamaguchi: the lifts are working well for Sindhu and she is anticipating the direction well. Yamaguchi’s turn win a long rally now and this time Sindhu’s judgement at the back-end of the court not quite spot on.

First game, Sindhu 6-6 Yamaguchi: What a rally. Terrific from both players, moving around front and back brilliantly and finally the shuttle is going long from AY. Neither player taking their foot off the pedal at the moment, gripping. Average rally is 16 seconds at the moment.

First game, Sindhu 3-5 Yamaguchi: A crosscourt drop from heaven by Yamaguchi to catch Sindhu on the backfoot. Sindhu catches Yamaguchi by surprise next point, to wrong foot her. She slides awkwardly but is ok.

First game, Sindhu 2-3 Yamaguchi: Really tight start to this game but there are early signs that Yamaguchi is trying to force the pace on Sindhu rather than the other way round.

First game, Sindhu 1-1 Yamaguchi: The first point is a slowish rally as both players get warmed up. An error from Sindhu to start. She picks up the pace second point and gets the winner.

01.15 pm: Gill Clark is on air.... and Pusarla V Sindhu “born in Secunderabad north of Hyderabad” is a fitting way to get things going. WE ARE ALL SET!

Presumably the reason for the delay is the medal ceremony but there is no way to know because the broadcasters just keep showing us a mash-up of their advertisement packages with random highlights in between.

01.40 pm: Here’s a look at the last four meetings. Yamaguchi had started to dominate Sindhu recently but that was also the phase Sindhu was up and down. The Indian has a better record against her at the major events like the Asiad (2 wins), All England and year-enders.

We are not exactly sure what is going on with the broadcast yet, there are no streams or visuals available. We assume it is a break between a final and the start of a next match.

01.30 pm: Women’s singles in badminton will make us look silly with any predictions (especially in the absence of Carolina Marin). There is so little recent form to look at. But, if you are looking to boost your hopes, the superb All England win for Sindhu should give her the confidence against Yamaguchi (who also looked a little vulnerable against her Korean opponent).

All England Open: PV Sindhu clinches epic thriller against Akane Yamaguchi to reach semifinals

QUOTABLE QUOTES: “I meditate at times, so I think that keeps my mind calm and keeps me going. We see a lot of things happening on social media everywhere. Sometimes to let go of everything I just meditate for a bit,” India’s PV Sindhu said after her win over Mia Blichfeldt.

IT’S TIME THEN!

All-China semifinal setup at the top half.Time for PV Sindhu vs Akane Yamaguchi, chapter 19. Sindhu leads 11-7 and won the last match, Yamaguchi has won three out of last four.

01.05 pm: The Sindhu-Yamaguchi match is right after the mixed doubles final which is approaching a thrilling finish between two Chinese pairs.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Tokyo 2020 quarter-final match between India’s PV Sindhu and Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi.

Reigning badminton world champion PV Sindhu sailed into the women’s singles quarter-finals at the Tokyo Olympics where she will face face former world No 1 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan.

The 26-year-old Indian, who won a silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics, completed a 21-15 21-13 win over Denmark’s 13th seed Mia Blichfeldt in a 41-minute match. While Yamaguchi defeated Korea’s Kim Gaeun 21-17 21-18 in the pre-quarterfinals.

The sixth seeded Indian has a 11-7 head-to-head count against the Japanese world No 5, whom she had last beaten at the All England Championship in March this year. Yamaguchi has won three of the last four matches between the two.

“I started off well in the first game but around 15-16 I gave a couple of points because I was rushing in my defence. My coach was telling me that I was playing the wrong way and I realised that and I immediately changed my tactics and completed the first game,” Sindhu told the media after her round of 16 win. “Second game I was fine, I was maintaining the lead and finished it off.”