Olympic Silver medallist PV Sindhu remained in the hunt for a historic Asian Games Gold medal after a tense win but Saina Nehwal settled for a Bronze following her 10th straight defeat against world number one Tai Tzu Ying, here on Monday.
World number three Sindhu beat Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 15-21, 21-10 for her second win over the Japanese at the Asian Games, having beaten her in the team championship as well.
The energy-sapping 65-minute match featured a 50-shot rally in the decider, which Sindhu won.
World number 10 and Olympic medallist Saina played with good intensity but lost 17-21, 14-21 to a superior Tzu Ying, who stood out with her court coverage and retrieving in the 32-minute contest.
Coming into this match, Saina had lost last nine matches against Tzu Ying, including three in the 2018 season.
Sindhu will now fight it out with Tzu Ying to win India's first ever individual Gold in badminton.
The Indian will have to punch above her weight as she has not managed to beat the Chinese Taipei shuttler in the last contests.
Syed Modi's Bronze in men's singles at the 1982 Games in New Delhi was the only individual medal for India at the Asian Games.
‘strategy for Tai’
Chinese Taipei's Tai Tzu Ying has proved to be a nemesis for India's star shuttlers but P V Sindhu said she has a strategy in place to outwit the world number one in the Asian Games final here on Tuesday.
Sindhu on Monday defeated Japanese world No 2 Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 15-21, 21-10 in the second semifinal to set up a summit clash with Tzu Ying, their 13th international encounter.
"I have a strategy in place for her. It should be a good match," said world No 3 Sindhu, who has not beaten Tzu Ying in their last five meetings.
Overall, the Taipei player has a 9-3 record against Sindhu and she enjoys similar dominance over Saina Nehwal, whom she beat in the first semifinal earlier on Monday.
The pressure will be on Sindhu as it is another big final. The Rio Olympics runner-up has often been criticized for not landing the final punch, having lost a few major finals, including two straight World Championships summit clashes.
It was only at the 2016 Rio Olympics where Sindhu last got the better of Tzu Ying.
Here, Sindhu overcame a shaky start earlier in the competition to make the final. She was stretched to three games in the opener by Vietnam's Vu Thi Trang.
The 23-year-old Indian said she never doubted herself despite a wobbly beginning.
"I never thought negative for a moment. I was always thinking about improving with each match. It is a big competition and there are no easy matches. Hope to go all the way on Tuesday," she said.
Sindhu said it was unfortunate that it could not be an all Indian final with Saina losing to Tzu Ying.
"She lost but she played well. I could not see the entire match but she played well in the second set. I was hoping to meet her in the final," she said.
In the semifinal against Yamaguchi, it seemed Sindhu had it easy in the third and decisive game.
"There was a big lead but no point was easy. The scoreline doesn't suggest that but I had to fight hard for every point," Sindhu said.
"There were long rallies. She did not give up despite trailing. She was also a bit lucky with the net chords. At one point, I was like this is happening a lot but you can't do much about these things."
‘couldn't read Tai’
A 10th straight loss to the same opponent hurts and Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal on Monday conceded that she has just not been able to figure out world No 1 Tai Tzu-Ying given her huge repertoire of shots and an unpredictable approach.
Saina was beaten in straight games by Tai in the semifinals of the ongoing Asian Games, setting the Taipei player up against another Indian in Olympic Silver-medallist P V Sindhu in Tuesday's final.
"I need to be quicker and have smooth movements, lot more shots as well, to finish the rallies (against her). Somewhere she will catch you. Every rally is a different rally with her. Most players have set pattern but she has got a variety of shots," Saina said after the 17-21, 14-21 loss.
"I definitely (need) the hand speed, bit more movement and not give her the chance to play her shots. There's a special quality. She is someone who is not easy to read. Not all the coaches can read her. As a player I have tried to read but she always comes up with a new shot."
Calling Tai a "complete" player, Saina said she wouldn't rate her own performance too badly on Monday.
"...You don't know where to play her and where to get the points, I was really confused there," she admitted.
"I played well, she played ever better...So you have to be alert there. I tried to do but she has all kind of shots, even if you put her in a difficult position, she comes out of it."
The Indian also said she did not get enough time to prepare for the Games as the event came close on the heels of a gruelling world championships, where she was a quarterfinalist.
"You have to have that game to beat her, to properly plan...But I tried. It's not like that you can't beat her. It's not impossible. You have to have a complete game because she has those deceptive shots to come out of difficult situations."
"She definitely cracks, but you need to stick on with her till the end," she insisted. Saina said she is pleased to have won her maiden Asian Games medal in her third attempt after quarterfinal finishes in 2010 and 2014.
"...This time, being unseeded, I could have faced anyone but the draw was favourable. I am happy I could get a medal. But the point is to fight with each and every player," she said.
"This tournament is as good as Olympics, just that we do not have Carolina here."
Asked about Sindhu's prospects in the final against Tai, Saina said, "It would be 50-50. Sindhu is taller and has more options to counter, she can play shots I can't."