Yamaguchi trumps Sindhu in a thriller to clinch Dubai SS final

Japan's Akane Yamaguchi put up a spectacular display to defeat P. V. Sindhu 21-16, 21-12, 21-19 in a thriller of a match to clinch the 2017 Dubai Super Series Final.

Updated : Dec 17, 2017 19:40 IST

P.V. Sindhu displayed brilliant form to outclass the world No.8 Chinese shuttler.
P.V. Sindhu displayed brilliant form to outclass the world No.8 Chinese shuttler.
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P.V. Sindhu displayed brilliant form to outclass the world No.8 Chinese shuttler.

This is Sindhu's third final loss this year adding to her loss in the World Championships final and the Hong Kong Open final.

The final scoreline reads 21-16, 21-12, 21-19 in Yamaguchi's favour.

Take a bow P. V. Sindhu! She gave her everything but she was outdone by a splendid comeback from Yamaguchi. Down one game and she came back fighting to win her first ever BWF Super Series title!

21-19 and Yamaguchi edges this thriller! Sindhu finds the net again.

Match point for Yamaguchi!

19-20 What a time for Sindhu to find the net, who has been superb with her returns today.

91 minutes of exhilarating badminton here! ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?

19-19 Yamaguchi could only find the net from Sindhu's forehand.

18-19 Oh Dear. Sindhu completely fluffs her return from Yamaguchi who hit it straight at Sindhu.

18-18 What a blinder from Sindhu with a smashing forehand! Too much pace and too far away from Yamaguchi's reach.

17-18 OHHH! Sindhu hits it wide! Yamaguchi back in the lead again! Both these players catching a long breath here.

17-17 This is turning out to be a classic! Fantastic returns from both of them in a long rally before the Jap hits it into the net.

16-17 A challenge from Sindhu as her shot is called out. And its overturned! She gets it right finally! Fourth time lucky.

15-17 Another superb point from Yamaguchi! Sindhu answered her every call at the net but Yamaguchi worked her around to drop a quick return past Sindhu.

15-15 A forehand return from Sindhu goes to the right of Yamaguchi who wouldn't get to it.

14-15 Two quick points from Yamaguchi puts her in the lead.

14-13 WHAT. A. POINT! Point of the match! Superb play from both these shuttlers! Some close calls for both the players. Sindhu made stunning returns from smashing forehands from Yamaguchi much to everyone's disbelief. Sindhu nicked the point with a drop shot which was out of bounds for the Jap.

13-13 WHAT. A. RALLY! Yamaguchi works Sindhu with some drop shots and the Indian gives it her all at the net but her return from a forehand goes long. A close race to the finish here.

13-12 Superb point from Yamaguchi again as Sindhu looks spent from that point.

13-11 Sindhu makes the Jap scurry with her shots all around the court and Yamaguchi's return on the turn goes wide.

12-11 Sindhu hits it long. Service over from Sindhu.

12-10 A smashing forehand from Sindhu could only find the net in return from Yamaguchi.

Gopichand with some words of confidence for the Indian shuttler.

11-10 A superb point from Yamaguchi but Sindhu challenges on a call that was called in. And it will remain that way. Three unsuccessful challenges from Sindhu in this match.

11-9 Yamaguchi hits a back-hand winner of her own to win that point.

11-8 Roars all around as Sindhu goes into the break with a three-point lead . Sindhu has forced the initiative in the last few points akin to the first game. 

10-8 A successful challenge from Yamaguchi which was called out by the umpire.

10-7 Sindhu exults yet again after that winner! Both shuttlers exchange drop shots before Sindhu hits a back-hand winner past her opponent.

9-7 The Jap hits it long with her return.

8-6 Sindhu roars after that fantastic point and her coach Pullela Gopichand is pumped as well! She smashes it low to Yamaguchi's left which is out of reach.

7-6 A succession of quick returns before the Jap hits it wide to Sindhu's right.

6-6 Sindhu's shot goes long again. An even battle here.

5-5 Superb point from Yamaguchi. Her smash lands low which Sindhu returns but it gives Yamaguchi enough time to smash it back into an empty cross-court.

5-3 Sindhu apologises as the shuttle hits the net and falls close to the net, away from Yamaguchi's reach.

4-3 Sindhu hits it long this time.

4-1 Error in judgement from Sindhu lets Yamaguchi to open her account in the third game. She lets it go thinking the shuttle will go long.

3-0 Three back to back rallies here and Yamaguchi has hit it long this time.

2-0 A fantastic point for Sindhu but at what cost? She looks exhausted after that point. The longest rally of the match so far ends in Yamaguchi finding the net. 

1-0 Opening point for Sindhu after a long rally where Yamaguchi hits it wide.

Third game begins!

Sindhu was right when she said that this wouldn't go the game way as Friday's encounter between them.

The second game goes to Yamaguchi 21-12! Error in judgement from Sindhu as she lets the shuttle drop inside the baseline. Superb fightback from the 20-year-old Jap. Its 50 minutes gone into the match and we are 1-1 here!

Game point for Yamaguchi!

12-19 Sindhu finds the net! Seven point lead for the Jap.

12-18 Smashing forehands from Yamaguchi! Sindhu returns two of them but isn't third time lucky!

11-16 Some oohs and aahs from the crowd as both players exchange blows close to the net before Sindhu hits it long.

11-14 Yamaguchi makes amends by landing a fantastic drop shot to the left of Sindhu which is out of her reach.

11-13 That's poor from Yamaguchi. She hits a long service which goes out of play. Change in service.

10-13 Sindhu's lob goes wide.

10-12 Some swift returns from the shuttlers in a long rally before Yamaguchi's forehand smash goes just wide.

9-12 Sindhu challenges a call that is called out after a long rally. And it remains out. Sindhu loses yet another challenge, One more remaining in this game.

9-11 Yamaguchi takes a slender advantage into the break !

9-10 Sindhu fights back with a point here. She drops it low to Yamaguchi's who couldn't muster enough power in her return as it finds the net.

8-10 Some fantastic returns from Yamaguchi before she smashes it to Sindhu's right on the baseline.

8-9 Yamaguchi takes the lead for the first time in the game

8-8 We might have a match on our cards here! Yamaguchi dug deep in this long rally before a smashing forehand hit straight at Sindhu.

8-7 Sindhu hits the net with her return from Yamaguchi's serve.

8-6 Sindhu sends this long.

7-5 Yamaguchi has fought her way back into the game. Sindhu, although, helped her with this point as she completely misses her return.

Sindhu! Sindhu! chants going around the arena!

7-3 Tough luck for Yamaguchi. She made a fantastic return of a Sindhu forehand with a big stretch but her return from her next shot found the net.

6-2 Yamaguchi clawed back two points but her forehand smash goes wide to hand Sindhu a four-point lead in this game.

5-0 Sindhu dictated the play to Sindhu in a long rally. She set Yamaguchi up with baseline strokes and a series of drop shots, Yamaguchi couldn't keep her end up though.

4-0 Yamaguchi's return from Sindhu's serve goes long.

2-0 No let off from Sindhu here as she makes some fantastic returns but Yamaguchi's return finds the net.

1-0 Sindhu drops a shot over Yamaguchi's head for a winner.

Second game begins

Sindhu is just one game away from her maiden BWF Super Series title!

21-16 Opening game to Sindhu! A 23-minute long game ends with Sindhu smashing a forehand winner to the right of the sprawling Yamaguchi! Yamaguchi gave it a tough fight but the upturn of nine points in Sindhu's favour when the score was 8-5 in the Jap's favour proved fatal.

20-15 A patient rally ensues between the two shuttlers which ends in a delicate drop shot from Yamaguchi to Sindhu's left.

20-14 Yamaguchi claws back one point.

20-13 Game point for Sindhu as she smashes the shuttle past Yamaguchi to her right as the Jap goes the other side.

18-13 A familiar story looking on the cards here as Sindhu races to a five-point lead here over her opponent.

16-13 Sindhu smashed the shuttle so hard in the hope that it would take Yamaguchi with it. Yamaguchi couldn't react fast enough to return it.

15-13 Yamaguchi groans as her drop shot falls wide.

14-12 A poor judgement from Sindhu as she doesn't return Yamaguchi's forehand over her head. It falls inside the baseline.

14-11 Sindhu makes a fantastic return but her forehand is called long and she makes a challenge. The call stands and she loses that challenge.

13-9 Yamaguchi finally breaks the momentum and gets a point after a long exchange ends in her forehand winner at the baseline.

12-8 Seven straight points for Sindhu without a return from the Jap.

11-8 What a smashing point from Sindhu again! She takes a three-point lead into the break.

10-8 Sindhu riding the momentum now. Lands the shot low to the Jap's right and she couldn't enough power on the return!

9-8 Sindhu takes the lead again in this see-saw contest as Yamaguchi's return is poor.

8-8 What a way to equal the scores, what a point for Sindhu! A fantastic rally where Sindhu pulled off some ridiculous returns before her forehand shot stayed low off Yamaguchi.

7-8 Sindhu claws back the lead as Yamaguchi's return once again finds the net.

6-8 Yamaguchi fails to return it past the net.

5-8 A three-point lead now for Yamaguchi.

5-6 The Jap held her own as she returned a drop shot with a drop of her own but Sindhu couldn't return it over the net.

5-5 Smashing forehand winner from Sindhu to the left of Yamaguchi and the scores are level again! Yamaguchi had no answer to it

3-5 Sindhu makes the Jap toil with her drop shots but she hit it long again.

2-4 Yamaguchi takes the lead for the first time as her drop shot is too long for Sindhu to reach.

2-2 Its all square after both exchange drop shots and forehands before Sindhu hits it long again.

2-1 First point for Yamaguchi as Sindhu hits it long.

2-0 Sindhu digs deep to return Yamaguchi's drops to return but Yamaguchi's another drops goes wide.

1-0  A good long rally before Sindhu smashes it down to her opponent's left for the first point of the match.

First game begins.

Yamaguchi to take first serve. Big cheers for the Indian shuttler.

Can Yamaguchi start better this time than from her previous encounter against Sindhu? Her returns were either long or failed to get past the net. Sindhu will look to assert her dominance right from the offset.

Both Sindhu and Yamaguchi are out now and are warming up.

And its time for the Women's singles final!

Good afternoon everyone!

Welcome to the live blog of the 2017 Dubai Super Series Finals badminton tournament.

We will be focusing on the summit clash between P. V. Sindhu and Akane Yamaguchi which is scheduled to be the second match on the day's roster.

Here's the preview of today's final.

In their group stage meeting on Friday, Sindhu eased past Yamaguchi in just 36 minutes in a 21-9, 21-13 win.

But the World No. 3 told reporters after Saturday's semifinal that she expects the final to be much longer filled with longer rallies.

Here's how Sindhu and Yamaguchi made the final showdown.

Both the shuttlers are in their first ever Super Series Final.

 

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