Tokyo, July 30:
PV Sindhu had answers to every single poser thrown at her by Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, even a 54-shot rally that went the other way.
The Indian showed outstanding proficiency in both her defense and dominating rallies, to march into the semifinal of the Tokyo Olympics at Musashino Forest plaza on Friday with a 21-13, 22-20 quelling of the World No.5.
The chinks in Sindhu’s armour existed only in Yamaguchi’s old notes from dossiers that needed dusting. For facing her in the quarters was a refined opponent, whose defense had more than just stubbornness. And whose attack came from the forecourt just as blithely as her blitz from the back. Sindhu has never shied from long rallies but she showed her scorn for their length. It was Yamaguchi in fact who spent most of the match running around, a tad aimlessly.
This was Sindhu knowing exactly what was needed to be done, and having the armoury to execute this heist to end Japan’s challenge.
The strokes flowed naturally from Sindhu – the straight smashes to attack the high serve, the fiercer ones to pounce on Yamaguchi’s short lifts.
Sindhu had the charging followup at the net to the set up smash, and overhead slice which she summoned at the crucial 21-20 juncture in the second set.
In the opener, Yamaguchi relied excessively on trying to win the battle at the net, where she was seamless, but to her surprise, Sindhu was up for the challenge. It’s a new confidence witnessed in Sindhu, post-pandemic.
While she had nicked the All England quarters out of Yamaguchi earlier this year on a nervous kill, this was a completely transformed Indian at the net, unafraid of the dribble debate the Japanese wanted to draw her into.
The first long rally – a staple when these two play came at 6-6, though the high pace was visible from Point 1 itself. As if she was playing a pre-pandemic Sindhu, Yamaguchi tried the body attack which worked only on the first point and never again. She baited the Indian on the backhand – which earned her two early points but not again. And she persisted at the net despite evidence of Sindhu’s comfort playing there being contrary to whatever she had planned ahead.
Sindhu, meanwhile, revelled in the net dribbles, even crossing once cleverly for a winner, and glided back into position for her crosscourt drops to start whirring again. What she was attempting even as Yamaguchi fixated on the net was to push her to the far backcourt corner from where the Japanese couldn’t return to wrench back the rallies.
The second set got tight. Prone to slackening a tad when she has the advantage, there was a 12 point period when Yamaguchi tried to swing the momentum, opening up the court and drawing tired returns from the Indian.
But the Japanese ought to know by now Sindhu doesn’t tire for good. So after the monster 54-shot rally which had high quality badminton shots – not mere scrambles – the Japanese milked the exertion to take 11 of the next 12 points. Yamaguchi had ended that mammoth exchange with a round the head smash and forced Sindhu to hit higher looking to work her shoulders.
It worked briefly as well. Two smashes went into the net. After a string of prolonged points, Yamaguchi took the lead at 17-16 and pushed for a decider at 20-18. But just like All England, another upset plotted by coach Park and executed to perfection by Sindhu, this time as well Yamaguchi wilted when she was tasked to finish off.
Sindhu is a beast at the clutch. And a down-the-line and a fiery followup at net helped Sindhu level at 20-all. From there, Yamaguchi knew her impending fate. Beaten at the tape, once again.
