PV Sindhu remains unbeaten, Kidambi Srikanth loses all three matches in BWF Super Series Final group stage: As it happened

PV Sindhu beat Akine Yamaguchi 21-9, 21-13 while Srikanth lost to Shi Yuqi 17-21, 21-19, 14-21.

Kidambi Srikanth will give himself rest for Dubai Super Series Final Kidambi Srikanth was top-ranked in the Destination Dubai rankings. (Source: File)

PV Sindhu’s superiority was punctuated with every point that she took in this match. She took control in the beginning and seldom let go. Yamaguchi did look like she had a fighting chance in the early stages of the second game but once Sindhu crossed 10 points, she was relentless. This means that she is through to the semi-finals unbeaten. first match against China’s He Bingjao ended in a 21-11, 16-21, 21-18 win and she followed that up with a 21-13, 21-12 win against Japan’s Sayaka Sato. She thus finishes top of the group.

Fortune hasn’t smiled on Kidambi Srikanth in a similar way in Dubai. He takes on China’s Shi Yuqi but the match is nothing more than a battle for pride for him. Srikanth has lost both his matches so far which means he is already out of contention for the knockouts. He lost to Viktor Axelsen 21-13, 21-17 in his first match and that was followed by a 21-18, 21-18 loss to Chou Tien Chen. His match against Shi Yuqi was hence nothing more than an effort to come out with a win from Dubai. Although Srikanth did come back after a defeat in the first game, he could not hold on and lost the match 17-21, 21-19, 14-21.

  1. 9:17PM
    15 Dec, 17
    Shi Yuqi wins first game 21-17

    Srikanth faces an uphill struggle now

  2. 9:06PM
    15 Dec, 17
    Srikanth 14-15 Shi Yuqi

    Hard to pick a winner right now in this match

  3. 9:02PM
    15 Dec, 17
    Srikanth 11-10 Shi Yuqi

    Srikanth had a tough start to the match but has caught up with Shi and now has a lead over him

  4. 7:20PM
    15 Dec, 17
    PV Sindhu through to Dubai Super Series Semi-Finals unbeaten

    And that's that, The final score is 21-9, 21-13. That is the third and final match of the group stage and that means Sindhu reaches the semi-finals unbeaten. 

  5. 7:16PM
    15 Dec, 17
    Sindhu chugging her way to a win

    Sindhu just a point away from winning the match now, she has stopped Yamaguchi in her tracks

  6. 7:09PM
    15 Dec, 17
    Sindhu 11-8 Yamaguchi in Game 2

    Sindhu starts pulling away once again, leads second hame 12-8. The possibility of finishing the group stage unbeaten looks more and more of a possibility

  7. 7:04PM
    15 Dec, 17
    Back and Forth

    It is difficult to pick a winner now. Sindhu beats Yamaguchi on her back hand to make it 6-4 but the Japanese comes right back in the next game, forcing Sindhu to reaches for it by dropping one near the net, Sindhu ends up finding the net

  8. 7:01PM
    15 Dec, 17
    Game 2

    Yamaguchi was stepping up towards the end of the first game and she is carrying that momentum forward into the second game. The two players are locked 4-4

  9. 6:54PM
    15 Dec, 17
    Sindhu wins Game 1

    PV Sindhu took the game by the scruff of the neck in the first half and raced away to a 11-1 lead. Yamaguchi tried to fight her way back and made Sindhu work for the one point to convert game point to a win. The last rally was a long one but in the end, Sindhu clinched the game

  10. 6:53PM
    15 Dec, 17
    Yamaguchi providing fight

    Yamaguchi is giving a tougher fight than she did in the first half of this game but Sindhu is just too far ahead now. She is on game point but Yamaguchi has fought her way to nine points 

  11. 6:48PM
    15 Dec, 17
    Game 1

    Sindhu gets her score to 13 and Yamaguchi then takes two points, 13-3. Yamaguchi serves and Sindhu answers with a smash straight to her body that the Japanese has no answer to. But then she gets a point back with smash to Sindhu's forehand that she is unable to reach

  12. 6:45PM
    15 Dec, 17
    Sindhu dominant

    Sindhu off to a flying start here. Leads Yamaguchi 10-1 in the first game. The Japanese has been virtually without an answer for Sindhu's aggressive play and so far, it is one way traffic 

  13. 6:41PM
    15 Dec, 17
    PV Sindhu vs Akane Yamaguchi, 1st game

    Akane Yamaguchi serves, a short exchange and PV Sindhu lands the the first point. She gets the next two points too, the third coming off a cross court smash that as typical of Sindhi as it gets 

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