World No 5 PV Sindhu kept India's hopes alive in the BWF Metlife Yonex Sunrise India Open World Superseries as she beat World No 4 Sung Ji Hyun of Korea to sail into Final to set up a mouthwatering clash with Carolina Marin of Spain here on Saturday at the Siri Fort Sports Complex. Out of the 10 occasions that both these superstars clashed, Sindhu has now won seven times.
As expected it was a close battle with both the players displaying amazing tenacity but eventually it was Sindhu who prevailed 21-18, 14-21, 21-14 in the high-octane clash that lasted for 76 minutes.
Both the players started on an aggressive note with the Korean taking an early 6-5 lead. But Sindhu fought her way back and took five straight points to make it 10-6. Sung Ji took three points to stay hot on the Hyderabadi's trail, but Sindhu went into the mid-game break leading 11-9. After the interval, the players stayed close and it looked like it could go anybody's way with Sindhu maintaining her composure to run away with the opening game.
After the change of ends, Sindhu started from where she left in the first game and opened up a 5-2 lead and it seemed almost certain that she would not have to wait much to wrap up the match. But an error from Sindhu saw the momentum shift in Sung Ji's favour and from 3-6 down, she showed great character to pocket the game to restore parity.
With a lot at stake, none of the players were in the mood to let go off it easily but Sindhu held on to her nerves to seal the match and qualify for her maiden India Open title to send the near capacity crowd into a rapturous mood.
"It is always difficult to play Sung Ji as she is a kind of player against whom you have to construct points as she would not give away easy points. In the past also, I have played against her and it was never easy to play her. But I had faith in myself and knew that I could go the distance," an ecstatic Sindhu said after the match.
She has now set up a mega clash with top seeded Carolina Marin of Spain, what is a rematch of the Rio Olympics Final. Marin had earlier staved off a staunch challenge from the fourth seeded Akane Yamaguchi of Japan to win 21-16, 21-14 in 40 minutes.
"For everyone it will be a rematch from the Olympic Final but for us it will be a new chapter in our rivalry. She will have the home support but it will surely be an interesting match," 2016 Olympic champion Marin said about the mouth-watering clash with Sindhu.
In the men's Final, top seeded Viktor Axelsen will meet Chou Chen Tien Chou of Chinese Taipei. Axelsen got the better off NG Ka long Angus of Hong Kong 21-12, 21-13, while Chou Chen beat the Danish youngster Anders Antonsen 21-17, 21-14.
In men's doubles, Indonesian sixth seeds Ricky Karandasuwardi and Angga Pratama will face fourth seeded Indonesian Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo.
Whereas in women's doubles, Naoko Fukuman and Kurumi Yonao of Japan set up a Final with fellow Japanese combo of Shiho Tanaka and Koharu Yonemoto.
In mixed doubles, second seeded Chinese lu Kai and Huang Yaqiong will take on Zheng Siwei and Chen Qingchen in the Final.
Yonex India Commences Manufacture of Racquets
It was announced that Yonex India will start manufacturing badminton racquets in the spring of 2017. The subsidiary of the Japanese company has been preparing to manufacture badminton racquets since its establishment in May of 2016
In light of the success of Indian players at international tournaments, badminton has been experiencing a rise in popularity within the nation. As a result, a great increase in the demand for badminton equipment is expected. To meet this growing demand, Yonex has decided to manufacture racquets directly in India, especially tailored to the needs of the Indian market.
By starting a subsidiary in India, Yonex will have full control over quality control. Under the banner of "Made by Yonex," the company will deliver high-quality racquets that will satisfy the needs of local users, and in turn work towards increasing the popularity of the sport in India.
The new factory has been established in the city of Bengaluru. The city was chosen for its year-long climate of warm and gentle weather, which is perfectly suited for the manufacture of badminton racquets.