Badminton Asian Championships: PV Sindhu succumbs to World no.2 Akane Yamaguchi, settles for bronze medal

The Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist started the match on a positive note but couldn't keep the winning momentum going, losing 21-13, 19-21, 16-21 to the top seed and World no.2 Yamaguchi in the clash, which lasted one hour and six minutes.

For the most part of the game, Yamaguchi looked very static which is a characteristic of her game. It was only after Sindhu had the argument with the umpire, not for the first time in this tournament, that Yamaguchi started to make a comeback in this game.

With the momentum lost, Sindhu didn't look like herself for the remainder of the match. The end of the second set proved to be an enthralling one, with both shuttlers tied at 19-19 before Yamaguchi claimed the final two points and secured a 21-19 win.

Sindhu remained at the receiving end in the final set, making plenty of errors. Yamaguchi kept her composure and didn't allow the World No. 4 to make a comeback. In the end, Yamaguchi won 21-16 to enter the Women's Singles final.

This is Sindhu's second medal in the tournament, she had claimed a bronze in the 2014 Gimcheon edition.

The Hyderabad shuttler, who won two Super 300 titles at Syed Modi International and Swiss Open, took the first game easily in 16 minutes. In the second game, the fourth-seeded Sindhu was handed a point penalty for taking too much time between points, leading to an argument with the referee.

The argument between the two led to a momentum shift as Yamaguchi levelled the proceedings to force a decider. The Japnese shuttler found her rhythm and never let Sindhu regroup. In the final game, Sindhu trailed from the beginning. In the end, Yamaguchi had five match points, which she duly converted.

The head-to-head between Sindhu and Yamaguchi is now 13-9 in the Indian's favour. With Sindhu's defeat, India's challenge at the individual continental championship has ended.