4.40 pm: Right, that’s all for us for now then. Stay tuned for the match report and more as we build up to the final on Sunday. Two great wins for Sindhu, can she cap this week off with another against Akane Yamaguchi? Join us tomorrow for that. Hope you enjoyed the coverage.

4.34 pm: Chen was leading 5-2 in the second game, from there Sindhu just found another gear and raced to the finish line. She won 16 of the last 24 points, 11 of the last 13 points.

Here are the second game stats.

4.32 pm: Context for this win for Sindhu: Chen Yufei is the reigning All England Champ, has reached 7 semifinals at least in the 7 world tour tournaments she played this year. She has been in *some* form and Sindhu made it look easy at times today.

Abhijeet Kulkarni: It ultimately turned out to be a cakewalk for Sindhu after the mid-game interval. She used the attacking tosses and cross court smashes really well to book a final berth. Akane Yamaguchi now stands between her and the title.

4.27 pm: PV Sindhu has made it to her first final of the year with a commanding win against the world No 3, to follow up her commanding win against the third seed yesterday. She will now face Akane Yamaguchi, who outplayed world No 1 Tai Tzu Ying earlier, in the summit clash. That should be a cracker!

PV SINDHU WINS 21-19, 21-10, REACHES FIRST FINAL OF 2019: Shades of World C’ships 2017 semifinal against Chen Yufei when Sindhu absolutely dominated her to a straight-games win. She does it again today in Jakarta! Two absolutely superb performances in the QF and SF by Sindhu now. Brilliant.

PV Sindhu 21-19, 21-10 Chen Yufei:

Challenge from Chen and the shuttle has landed on the baseline!! PV SINDHU WINS IN STRAIGHT GAMES! What a performance.

Second game, PV Sindhu 21-19, 20-10 Chen Yufei:

11 match points for Sindhu, Chen saves one with a crosscourt drop.

Second game, PV Sindhu 21-19, 20-9 Chen Yufei:

Chen finally gets a jump smash right in this game, breaks the momentum... only briefly. Sindhu retakes the serve with a jump smash of her own. Two points away for Sindhu... and make that one point as she uses the drift to make a forehand land in!

Second game, PV Sindhu 21-19, 18-8 Chen Yufei:

Seven straight points for Sindhu! This looks all but over for Chen. Stunning display of up-tempo badminton from Sindhu, much like the second game against Okuhara. SIXTEEN of the LAST NINETEEN points!

Second game, PV Sindhu 21-19, 15-8 Chen Yufei:

Great job by Sindhu in terms of covering the court, says one commentator. This is extraordinary says, the other. Four straight points after the break for Sindhu and she is racing ahead to the finish line!

Second game, PV Sindhu 21-19, 11-8 Chen Yufei:

Make that seven straight points for Sindhu as Chen makes ANOTHER error. The second seed is all over the place, but breaks the momentum with a well-stitched together rally. Sindhu retakes the serve with a smashing return winner. Chen forces an error from Sindhu’s forehand, followed by the Indian sending a lift long. Cehn’s turn to fight back. But Sindhu heads into the interval with a lucky net chord!! The shuttle just rolled over the other side of the net for Sindhu and she finished off the point with the smash into open court. Sindhu is almost there!

Second game, PV Sindhu 21-19, 8-5 Chen Yufei:

From 0-4, it’s 5-5 and then 8-5! A pattern developing in this match, for sure. And some aggression from Sindhu with some fiery smashes and she is in the lead in the second game. Superb defence from the Indian off the next point forces Chen to send the shuttle long. Sindhu has six straight points now as Chen makes another error. Wow, some turnaround this.

Second game, PV Sindhu 21-19, 4-5 Chen Yufei:

Sindhu is on the backfoot on the to start the second game. But back-to-back errors from Chen help Sindhu reduce the gap to 1. The Chinese used up a challenge incorrectly as wel..

First game stats: Sindhu kept fighting back, kept fighting back and took the lead in the end and stayed there. Superb.

Second game, PV Sindhu 21-19, 1-4 Chen Yufei:

Similar start to the second game as the first by Sindhu as Chen opens up a 3-0 lead. Make that 4-0 as the second seed plays a superb push to the backcourt that lands in. Sindhu gets on the board with an error from Chen.

Abhijeet Kulkarni: Sindhu keeps her composure on the big points and ensures that Chen Yufei cannot target her body to clinch the opening game 21-19.

PV Sindhu 21-19 Chen Yufei: Sindhu wins first game!

SINDHU IS PUMPED! What a finish to that game! Stunning deception from Sindhu as she shapes to play a drop and then pushes the shuttle to the backcourt... it lands well in! More fist bumps.

First game, PV Sindhu 20-19 Chen Yufei:

Massive roar by Sindhu after a 28-shot rally! Chen nets the shuttle. Six of the last seven points for Sindhu and she has a game point!

First game, PV Sindhu 189-19 Chen Yufei:

Superb fight back from Sindhu! Two Tai Tzu Ying-esque drop shots to go into the lead 19-18. Sindhu then frustratingly puts a shuttle wide from the net (not helped by the drift!) Challenges but in vain. All level again!

First game, PV Sindhu 18-18 Chen Yufei:

Chen sends a drop long as she overhits it. And Sindhu levels things up with an absolutely gorgeous forehand crosscourt drop!! Chants of Sindhu, Sindhu!

First game, PV Sindhu 16-18 Chen Yufei:

Sindhu gives Chen a taste of her own medicine, finishing a long rally with a brilliant cross-court drop. Sindhu’s smash down the line then lands in with Chen challenging. WELL IN! Sindhu closes the gap down.

First game, PV Sindhu 14-18 Chen Yufei:

The shuttle gets stuck in Sindhu’s racquet-head! Don’t see that often. Chen sends a crosscourt long and then it’s Sindhu’s turn to gift a point to Chen. The fifth seed needs to find another gear here because Chen is looking comfortable. Another brilliant deceptive drop. Chen leads by four points again.

First game, PV Sindhu 13-15 Chen Yufei:

Oh, a misjudgment down the left by Sindhu: she thought it was going wide but the drift brought it back well in. Chen then plays a delightful drop at the net to 15-12 up. Stunning defence in the next rally from Sindhu as she returns a series of smashes and then wins a net exchange. A fist bump from Sindhu!

First game, PV Sindhu 12-13 Chen Yufei:

Sindhu puts Chen under pressure with some up-tempo shots. A superb rally then ends with a tame error from Sindhu at the net. Chen stays ahead. Sindhu pounces on a poor serve with a booming return to get back the serve.

First game, PV Sindhu 10-11 Chen Yufei:

Sindhu has the lead on the back of five straight points! Chen levels things up again with a body smash. All square again at 9-9. Chen plays a superb point then makes another backhand error to make it 10-10. The second seed has a slender lead at the mid-game interval after another superb body smash. That’s been Chen’s go-to weapon so far.

First game, PV Sindhu 8-8 Chen Yufei:

A long rally ends with an instinctive block from Chen that lands to the left of Sindhu. A rally that was dominated by the Indian goes in Chen’s favour. Sindhu follows that up with two straight points as Chen’s crosscourt lift goes long. A return error from Chen and the gap is down to one point! And another error from Chen as Sindhu stays patient. Back level at 8-8 now.

First game, PV Sindhu 4-7 Chen Yufei:

Body smash from Sindhu to follow up a good drop shot that forced Chen to lift it short. Chen then sends a shuttle long, with the drift in play quite evident. All level at 4-4. Then Chen nails a body smash. At 4-6, Chen challenges a call on the baseline. Turns out Sindhu’s lift just landed out! Millimeters!

First game, PV Sindhu 2-4 Chen Yufei:

First point for Sindhu is from a well-placed smash down the line. Chen sends a smash wide and Sindhu has back-to-back points. Good angle on the smash from Chen to take a 4-2 lead.

First game, PV Sindhu 0-3 Chen Yufei:

Sindhu starts off with the serve, and sends a shuttle long after a longish rally. Nets the next couple. Shaky start for the Indian.

3.35 pm: Players are out on court. Warm reception for Sindhu, as is usually the case for Indian players in Jakarta. Sindhu is red and blue. Chen is in all blue. Here we go!

3.30 pm: PV Sindhu is yet to win a title in 2019 (and she is yet to reach a final, in fact!) but she laid down the marker with a stunning win against Okuhara yesterday. On the other hand, Chen Yufei is one of the form players of 2019, the reigning All England champion.

3.25 pm: Sindhu and Chen will battle for a spot in the final against Akane Yamaguchi (who outplayed world No 1 Tai Tzu Ying like it was no big deal, earlier! It was a stunning win for the fourth seed, 21-9 21-15)

3.19 pm: Sindhu will face the second seed from China in the last-four clash of the prestigious tournament. Chen won their most recent encounter at China Open in September last year.

“It’s been a while since I played her. Waiting for the semis, I hope to give my 100%. She’s an attacking player and she is in form, I just have to patient and go with the flow,” Sindhu said.

The fifth seed is looking to win her first title of 2019.

“I am hoping, definitely. I want to win this tournament. It will give me a lot of positivitiy and belief to go further. Taking it step by step for now,” the Rio Olympics silver medallist said.

3.10 pm: There is very little to choose between Sindhu and 21-year-old Chen Yufei, Chinese badminton’s next big star. The Indian has a slight edge in the head-to-head: leading 4-3. The two have not met since the China Open last year in September, however.

3.05 pm: Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 tournament in Jakarta. In women’s singles semi-finals today, India’s PV Sindhu takes on China’s Chen Yufei in what promises to be a fascinating clash.

On Friday, PV Sindhu outplayed familiar foe Nozomi Okuhara in straight games to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

The fifth seed Indian, who had a head-to-head record of 7-7 against the Japanese before the match, was too hot to handle for the former world champion as she raced to a 21-14, 21-7 win in just 44 minutes to set up a last four encounter against second seed Chen Yufei.

Sindhu, seeded fifth, was especially severe in the second game against the third seeded Japanese shuttler as she won the match in just 44 minutes.

“I was very much patient, I did not commit many unforced errors like in the quarters or the first round, I really appreciated that about my game today,” Sindhu told reporters after the win.

“Even though there was drift, I was focussed and prepared for everything. Sometimes the shuttle tends to go just outside and your shot has to be perfect at that point. There were a couple of shots here and there [that did not go my way] but I was always prepared for the next point, stayed positive.

“When you play against the top players, there’s not too much strategy... you just get on the court, and adapt accordingly. We have played each other a lot of times and we know each other’s game,” she added.