PV Sindhu defeats World No1 ranked Akane Yamaguchi to reach Semi final

PV Sindhu gave a brilliant performance to clinch her 14th victory over Akane Yamaguchi. The win took her head-to-head record against the reigning World Champion to 14-9. The duo last faced each other at the Badminton Asia Championships semifinals, where PV Sindhu was penalized a point by an umpire for the use of delaying tactics.

PV Sindhu and Akane Yamaguchi were equally matched going into the first game. The 26-year-old Indian tennis star had to rely on cross-court drops and slices after her opponent, allowing her to an 11-9 break. PV Sindhu reeled off seven straight points after Akane Yamaguchi got five points, giving PV Sindhu a 19-14 lead. Sindhu won the first game when Yamaguchi went off balance and sent the shuttle to the net.

In the second set, PV Sindhu easily won 10 of the last 11 points before the second game went into the interval, allowing Sindhu to get an 11-5 lead. After the break, Akane Yamaguchi pounced back and got an 11-13 lead when PV Sindhu was called for a service fault. The Japanese got two game points with a quick smash and a well-placed return strike. Akane Yamaguchi looked passive but played excellent shots and won the round 20-22, sending the match to the decider.

The performance of Akane Yamaguchi was affected in the third game as a back problem hindered her. PV Sindhu got a six-point lead before the third game went into the mid-game interval. When Akane Yamaguchi was trailing 15-11, PV Sindhu unleashed her deadly smashes to win the game 21-13.

The sixth-seeded Indian will face Chinese Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei in the semifinal match of the Thailand Open on May 21.