After suffering a string of disappointing losses earlier in the year, India's badminton queen Pusarla Venkata Sindhu has finally regained her form. Her losses in earlier tournaments had left many worried as she seemed incapable of competing and fighting on the court when the going got tough. But in the ongoing Indonesia Open Super 1000 event of the BWF World Tour, she is showing that competitive streak that has given her an Olympic silver and two World Championship silvers.
The Telugu lass first defeated Nozomi Okuhara in the quarter-final and then thrashed All England champion Chen Yufei to enter her first final in a World Tour event this year. What has been most impressive about the performance of the 24-year old is her tenacity and composure – things that seemed to be completely missing from her game in the earlier tournaments.
Her net play seems to be good and she is able to keep the defence tight. Sindhu would have expected a tough contest from Tai Tzu Ying in the final but the Chinese Taipei player was herself knocked out by Akane Yamaguchi in straight games.
It seems that there is something odd about this tournament as most of the top seeds have fallen by the wayside. So, Sindhu would be up against the lady she defeated in the World Tour finals last year.
The diminutive Japanese has had a great rivalry with Sindhu. In the 2017 Super Series Finals' final, these two had an epic match which Yamaguchi went on to win. Next year, the Indian turned the tables. This time, it would be a great contest as Sindhu seems in a mood to fight for every point. But that is exactly what Yamaguchi excels at as well. Her perseverance is unmatched, except probably by her compatriot Nozomi Okuhara at her best.
The Japanese would make Sindhu work hard for every point and run around the court. The huge height difference usually doesn't matter much but in this tournament, the power of Sindhu seems to be aiding her. Hence, she may have the upper hand. A great contest ensues.
Where to watch live
The live telecast of the finals day would be available on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 HD. For online viewers, the matches would be available on Hotstar. The finals day commences at 12:30 PM IST and Sindhu's match is second on the card. It can be expected to begin around 1:30 PM IST.
