PV Sindhu
PV Sindhu has a 6-3 head-to-head record over her semi-final opponent Yamaguchi.ISAAC LAWRENCE/AFP/Getty Images
  • The women's singles semi-final between Sindhu and Yamaguchi will start at 5 pm local time, 9:30 pm IST and 4 pm GMT 

India's PV Sindhu will face higher-ranked Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in her first-ever All England Open Badminton Championships quarter-final at Birmingham Arena on Saturday, March 17.

The fourth seed progressed to the last-four stages after edging past reigning world champion Nozomi Okuhara 20-22, 21-18, 21-18 in an 84-minute encounter Friday. Sindhu, who had agonizingly lost a 110-minute battle against the Japanese shuttler, made sure she held her nerves and got the job done in a topsy-turvy affair.

Sindhu was trailing 16-12 in the decider and was looking worn out after having been taken to the distance in the first two rounds as well. However, the world number three staged a brilliant comeback to close out the game by converting her very first match point.

The 22-year-old revealed she had worked on the mental aspect of her game, which helped her quickly move on from mistakes. Sindhu looks to play short rallies against Okuhara, who is known for her impeccable defensive play and thus is prone to making unforced errors.

"Sometimes you lose confidence or get nervous if you start losing points, but you have to let it go and strategize for the next point and be ready for the unexpected," Sindhu was quoted as saying by BWF's official website Friday.

Does Sindhu start as the favorite?

Sindhu is bidding to become the first Indian woman to reach the final of the World Tour Super 1000 tournament. Notably, Saina Nehwal, who bowed out in the first round of the ongoing tournament, reached the last-four stages twice in the past.

Sindhu starts the semi-final as favorite, given her positive head-to-head record (6-3) over Yamaguchi. Notably, the Indian shuttler defeated her in straight games at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in February.

However, Sindhu has spent 79 minutes more on the court than Yamaguchi and fatigue can be a cause of concern if Saturday's semi-final goes to three games. The Japanese shuttler will also be high on confidence after having beaten reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin in straight games in her quarter-final outing.

When is the match and how to watch it live

The women's singles semi-final between Sindhu and Yamaguchi will start at 5 pm local time, 9:30 pm IST and 4 pm GMT.

Live stream and TV listings

    • India: TV - Star Sports; Live stream - Hotstar
    • Malaysia: TV - Astro Supersport 4; Live stream - Astro Go
    • Indonesia: Fox Sports
    • Thailand: True Visions
    • Hong Kong: iCable, PCCW
    • Denmark: TV2
    • China: GDTV, LETV and China Table Tennis & Badminton Channel.
    • US: One World Sport