Dubai SS Finals: Sindhu storms into final
P. V. Sindhu beats China's Yufei Chen 21-15, 21-18 and sets up a final clash with Japan's Akane Yamaguchi.
Published : Dec 16, 2017 20:24 IST
P.V. Sindhu beats China's Yufei Chen 21-15, 21-18 to enter the final of the Dubai Superseries Finals. It was a great performance by Sindhu and she has entered the final in style - beating Chen in straight games. Sindhu will meet Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the summit clash.
21-18 Sindhu is in the final. What a game. Sindhu sails through when Chen hits out wide trying to return a Sindhu smash. What a win for the Indian.
20-18 Match point for Sindhu. She heaves a cry of relief.
19-17 Fantastic rally! Sindhu is down and is gasping for breath. 57 shots in the rally says it all. Sindhu loses it when she can only get to the net in an attempted drop shot.
19-16 An unforced error. Chen gets only to the net. Sindhu with a two-point lead.
17-16 Chen touches the net in an attempt to take a drop shot but returns it clean and Sindhu sends to the backcourt. Sindhu in the lead.
Sindhu gets a warning, a yellow card for a time violation. 16-all now.
Chen with a challenge. It was called out and it was out by a huge margin. Sindhu gets the serve now. 16-16.
16-15 Chen with the lead now. A forehand winner to Sindhu's left and the Indian cannot turn in time to return it.
15-15 That was a great rally. 37 shots in all and Chen draws level when she smashes one to Sindhu's backcourt, to her left, and the Indian misses it.
15-13 Another challenge and Sindhu loses all her challenges as Chen gets the point. Another poor judgement by the Indian.
Another challenge by Sindhu. She sends one down the line and the umpire calls out but the call stands after the video referral. Sindhu loses a challenge and Chen gets a point at 15-12. The Chinese in a three-point deficit.
15-11 A smash by Sindhu straight on to Chen and she takes a four-point lead.
14-11 Chen takes a tremendous cross court shot but cannot control her return as it hits the net and jumps out. Sindhu with the lead.
13-11 A couple of unforced errors by Sindhu gives Chen two points on the trot.
13-9 Chen sends a forehand that was dropping on Sindhu fast. The Indian takes it clean and responds with a drop shot. Chen retrieves it but finds the net. Sindhu with the lead.
12-9 Sindhu takes the point. Shouts of Sindhu, Sindhu engulfs.
11-9 Chen takes the point. That was an awesome rally. The players were charged up after the break and the rally had everything - smashes, drops and the players moved around to dish out shots.
11-8 After Chen takes two back-to-back points, Sindhu gets the serve back when Chen commits an unforced error. She shoots it wide and out to Sindhu's right. Sindhu goes into the short break in the lead.
10-6 A good forehand return by Sindu and Chen cannot reach out to the shot to her right. It was dropping on her fast and the Chinese was a tad late in trying to retrieve it. Sindhu with a four-point lead.
9-6 A judgemental error. Chen sends a shot to Sindhu's right and Sindhu just watches it drop on the line. Chen gets the point.
9-5 A barrage of drop shots and good returns end when the Indian finds the net in an attempted cross court drop shot.
9-4 Sindhu plays to Chen's backcourt and Chen sends the return wide and out. Sindhu in the lead.
8-4 Sindhu gets the serve back. Speed and agility being the trademarks of the rally.
7-4 Sindhu takes Chen's forehand well and in an attempt to play a delicate drop shot, she finds the net and Chen gets the point.
7-3 A backhand smash that dropped on Chen in quick time gives Sindhu the point. The Indian is in good form.
5-3 That was another excellent rally. Sindhu sends a probing cross court shot and Chen smashes it wide and out. Sindhu in the lead.
3-3 Sindhu on level terms again. She pumps her fist in joy. Follows up a smash with a forehand straight down the line and Chen is in no position to take it.
2-2 Sindhu draws level. She returns the serve well and Chen stumbled to return it and Sindhu found the opportunity to dish a cross court forehand winner.
2-1 Chen with the lead. Smashes it to Sindhu's left and to her backcourt and the Indian cannot reach for it.
1-0 Sindhu takes the lead with the help of the net. The shuttle just touches the net and falls inside Chen's court. Chen did well to cover some ground but a weak take resulted in her finding the net again.
| Second game begins |
The players take a small breather as Gopichand finds time to give another set of instructions to Sindhu. It looks like they are working for the Indian!
21-15 And Sindhu takes the first game. She smashes it and Chen cannot return it to prefection.
20-15 Game point for Sindhu as Chen hits out.
19-15 Chen defended a shot well off her body and gave a good return but Sindhu hit wayward as Chen gets the point and the serve.
18-14 Chen finds the net and Sindhu heaves a cry of relief. It was smashed well by Sindhu but Chen couldn't control the return. The Indian in the lead.
16-14 A forehand winner by Chen reduces the deficit by two points. Sindhu still holding on to the slender lead.
16-13 Chen gets the point. A good rally (28 shots) but a drop shot has helped Chen get the point. It was on cross court by Chen and initially it looked like Sindhu had taken it clean but couldn't get it over the net.
Sindhu challenges a line call. It was hit to Chen's left, a forehand by Sindhu, and the umpire calls it out. Sindhu gets it overturned in her favour and that was a good call to challenge the call. Sindhu in the lead at 16-12.
A plethora of unforced errors from Chen is not helping her cause at all and it looks like Sindhu has a firm grip on this.
15-11 That was smashed straight back at Sindhu. Chen was on the money and Sindhu just had to duck to see the shuttle sail over her head. But as usual, Chen had packed too much into it and the shuttle sails out. Sindhu in the lead.
14-11 It is wide and out again and Sindhu has a three-point lead now.
12-11 Chen is packing too much power into it and the shuttle goes out, down the line. Sindhu in the lead.
11-10 Sindhu goes into the break with a one-point lead. Coach P. Gopichand sends down a volley of instructions.
10-10 On the line and Chen gets the point. Sindhu thought it was way out and leaves it.
10-9 What a rally. 42 shots! Chen prevails. She executes a drop shot to perfection and Sindhu cannot take it. Sindhu in the lead.
10-8 A very strong service return by Chen and it goes out. Sindhu leads.
8-8 That was a monstrous smash from Sindhu. She took on to the shot in a flash and packed a punch as the Indian draws level.
8-7 Wide and out and Sindhu reduces the deificit.
8-6 Chen takes the lead for the first time in the match. Sindhu tries a forehand cross court winner but it was the net that came in between.
6-6 That was smashed straight back at Sindhu and the Indian cannot take her body out. Chen restores parity again.
6-5 Sindhu gets the serve back. Chen takes it well and tries a forehand cross court shot but finds the net.
5-5 A delicate drop and Chen draws level.
5-4 A good forehand winner by Chen. It was marginally on the line and Sindhu couldn't take it.
5-3 Chen crawls back with three back-to-back points. Sindhu finds the net twice and hits out once.
5-0 That was well taken by Chen but sadly couldn't time it well. It was straight on her body by Sindhu but Chen lost her timing on that.
3-0 Wide and out again from Chen. This time to Sindhu's left and it is 3-0 in favour of the Indian.
2-0 Chen hits out, down the line and Sindhu takes the early lead.
| First game begins |
The players are warming up. It will be action time very soon. Chen has had two three-game matches so far while Sindhu has just one. Sindhu leads the head-to-head record with 3-2 and the last time the duo met at the French Open, it was Sindhu all the way.
And it is time for the marquee clash. Out walk P.V. Sindhu and Yufei Chen.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good evening and welcome to everyone!
We will be focusing on P. V. Sindhu's semifinal clash with China's Yufei Chen. Sindhu has had a fabulous year so far winning the Syed Modi International, the Indian Open and the Korean Open.
A low down of Sindhu's track record against today's opponent Chen .
The 22-year-old will be hoping to cap it off with winning the year ending Dubai Superseries Finals tournament as well. She has won all three matches in the group stages and dropping just one game in the process.
Here's how Sindhu progressed to the semifinals.