Hello and welcome to Sportstar's live commentary of the All England Badminton Championship quarterfinal match between P. V. Sindhu and Nozomi Okuhara.
Sindhu and H. S. Prannoy remain the only Indian contenders in the ongoing tournament.
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18-21 COMEBACK COMPLETE! Sindhu takes the third game and with that the match! What a match! Monumental effort from both these players as we have come to expect every time they are involved. To put Sindhu's comeback into perspective, she was a game down and down by three and four points during the third game.
18-20 Match point for Sindhu as she lands a winner!
18-19 Sndhu wins the net duel.
17-18 Breathtaking stuff! Stunning attack and defense combined from both these players but Sindhu ultimately prevails.
Yellow card for Sindhu... Possibly for remonstrating with the umpire.
17-17 A smashing forehand from Sindhu wrong foots Okuhara!
17-16 Sindhu's shot goes long after her stirring four-point reverse.
16-16 And we are level once more!! Okuhara with an unforced error.
16-15 Sindhu cuts the lead to one after Okuhara misses her shot while running backwards.
16-14 Sindhu isn't throwing in her towel yet. She fights her way to cut the lead again with a backk hand slice after some good attacking play.
16-12 Okuhara with a smash down the line and Sindhu's return isn't strong enough.
15-12 Okuhara keeping the pressure on Sindhu as her attacking shots yield a mistake out of Sindhu.
14-12 Okuhara's drop doesn't get over the net.
14-11 Sindhu rushes at her shot again and it costs her by hitting the net while returning.
12-11 Okuhara returns the favour with her own reverse slice.
11-11 Sindhu gets her shot on the money this time as she lands a reverse slice winner.
11-10 Sindhu's shot one again goes wide off the tram line. The players take a break now.
10-10 Sindhu with another unforced error and Okuhara wipes out the lead yet again.
8-10 Not a good leave from Okuhara as Sindhu's shot kisses the baseline.
8-8 Sindhu's shot goes long.
6-8 Superb reflexes from Sindhu to turn that defensive shot into a point in her favour.
6-7 Another unforced error from Okuhara, hits it against the net.
6-6 Okuhara with an unforced error and we are level for the umpteenth time in this match!
5-4 Easy put away for Sindhu there and she obliges with a forehand winner.
5-3 Sindhu responds to going a point behind with another smash.
4-2 Sindhu responds with a cross court smash!
4-1 A reverse slice from Okuhara and Sindhu is nowhere near to that shot.
3-1 Sindhu with an unforced error at the net.
2-0 Okuhara with a cross-court winner.
Third game
18-21 And a fifth one gives Sindhu the second game and its all square! Can't remember the last meeting where these two together weren't involved in a thriller.
18-20 Four unforced errors in a row from Okuhara and its game point for Sindhu.
18-19 Okuhara once again goes for the forehand winner and again goes wide off the mark.
18-18 Okuhara hits her shot against the net.
18-17 Okuhara's smash down the tram line is just wide.
18-16 Sindhu's defense is wilting away here as Okuhara takes charge of the second game.
17-16 Okuhara's smash is too powerful for Sindhu to make the return.
15-16 Okuhara repeats the trick again after some good offensive play.
14-16 Okuhara with a smashing winner.
13-16 Okuhara fails to get her shot over the line.
12-15 Sindhu regains service after a smashing forehand down the right of Okuhara.
12-14 Sindhu with an unforced error as her shot hits it against the net.
11-13 Okuhara fails to get her shot over the net.
11-11 Sindhu forced on the defensive but her shot goes wide off the tram line.
9-11 Sindhu moves into the break with the lead after a forehand winner at the far court.
9-10 Sindhu with the winner as Okuhara sprawls on all fours to reach to that shot without success.
9-9 Another unforced error from Sindhu.
8-9 Sindhu hits her shot against the net.
7-8 Service error from Sindhu.
6-8 Sindhu has a two-point lead now. Poor judgement from Okuhara to let Sindhu's shot fall inside the tram line.
6-7 Superb winner from Sindhu going to the weaker side of Okuhara. Placed her shot with precession.
6-6 Okuhara makes an unforced error as she hits her shot against the net.
6-5 Sindhu gets her net play right this time while Okuhara misses her shot at the net.
6-4 Sindhu's cross court goes wide off the mark.
5-4 Sindhu misses her drop shot as it fails to raise over the net.
4-3 Okuhara with a stunning forehand cross court winner.
3-3 Sindhu's forehand jab goes wide.
1-3 Misjudgement from Okuhara as Sindhu's shot falls well inside the baseline.
1-1 Unforced error from Okuhara at the net.
1-0 The second game begins in some fashion too. A long rally ends with Okuhara smashing home a winner.
Second game
22-20 And Okuhara takes the opening game with a low winner to Sindhu's right! Sindhu challenges it once more and the shot was narrowly called in. The opening game was decided on narrow margins. What a start to the match between these two superstars!
21-20 Both the players go on the offensive before Sindhu's shot is called wide. She challenges it unsuccessfully.
20-20 Sindhu returns the favour! The Indian hits it into the net and its all square once more.
19-20 What a time to make yet another unforced error from Okuhara as she hits it long. Game point for Sindhu.
19-19 Okuhara with another forced error, which is well judged by Sindhu to not play at it.
19-18 Okuhara with a drop shot which Sindhu can't reach in time.
18-18 Sindhu levels it again after an engrossing raly.
18-17 Okuhara with a smash and Sindhu is nowhere near it to make the return.
17-17 The scores are level again! This time Sindhu concedes her lead as her shot goes long.
16-16 Unforced error from Okuhara as her shot goes long at the rear court.
15-15 Okuhara sets herself up for a smash with a shot low to the left of Sindhu and executes it well.
14-15 Sindhu fails to get the right connection with her shot going low.
13-15 Okuhara's return from serve goes wide.
13-13 Sindhu with an unforced error as her shot goes wide.
12-12 Sindhu goes on the offense again but this time Okuhara's defense doesn't hold strong.
12-11 Superb defense from Okuhara as Sindhu fails to put away her smashes.
11-11 Sindhu levels the score with a back hand pass, which Okuhara fails to get to in time.
11-10 Okuhara goes into the break with a marginal lead after an unforced error from Sindhu. Its been even stevens so far with little to separate the two.
9-10 Superb pick-up smash from Sindhu, catching Okuhara off-guard.
8-9 Okuhara's unforced error gives Sindhu the lead again.
7-8 Okuhara with a body smash and Sindhu is not able to react faster, hits her shot wide.
6-7 Okuhara with another unforced error and Sindhu gets it right by choosing to not play it.
5-6 Sindhu goes for another cross court but this time she is wide off the mark.
4-6 Okuhara's forehand is called wide at the far court and she challenges it. But the call will stand.
4-4 Good pick-ups from Sindhu but proves one too many in the end as she fails to get to an Okuhara shot.
3-3 A good cross court smash from Sindhu is out of bounds for Okuhara.
2-2 A good defensive game from Sindhu and Okuhara makes an error at the net.
2-1 Error in judgement from Sindhu costs her a point.
1-1 Sindhu opens her account after Okuhara makes an unforced error from a forehand.
First game
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The World no. 3 Sindhu survived two scares in a row to reach this stage, with the latest being the 21-13, 13-21, 21-18 win over Thailand's Nitchaon Jindapol on Thursday.
After the match, she said, "I definitely need to improve a few things. However, considering Thursday's match, I am happy as I have managed to pull out a tough match, while trailing behind. I hope to go back, recover and come back stronger, on Friday." Click here to read more .
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