World Championships 2018: PV Sindhu Beats Nozomi Okuhara To Set Up Semi-Finals Clash With Akane Yamaguchi

India's PV Sindhu defeated Nozomi Okuhara in the women's singles quarter-finals of the BWF World Badminton Championships 2018 at Nanjing, China. In a match that lasted 58 minutes, Sindhu defeated Okuhara 21-17, 21-19. By virtue of this win, Sindhu will meet another Japanese, Akane Yamaguchi, in the semi-finals. The Indian shuttler started slow in the match and was trailing early in the first game as Okuhara looked in fine touch. However, a couple of consecutive points for Sindhu gave her a 11-10 lead at mid-break of the first game. After the break, Sindhu did not let go of her lead as she maintained a slender two-point lead every time in the first game. A couple of beautiful cross-court shots from the Indian helped her wrap the first game 21-17 against her Japanese counterpart.

The highlight of the first game were the two cross-court returns from Sindhu that was well placed in the top left corner of Okuhara's side of the court. By the end of the first game, Sindhu looked in fine form.

In the second game, Okuhara burst into a five-point lead as she led the Indian 5-0. The World No.3 tried getting back in the game with occasional points but Okuhara had other plans as they led Sindhu 11-8 at mid-break of the second game. After the break, Sindhu pulled her rank and drew level at 11-11.

It was at 15-14 when Sindhu, for the first time, took a lead in the second game but Okuhara pulled one back to draw level at 15-15. Thereafter, the second game was evenly poised as both the players were neck-and-neck throughout the remaining of the game. But it was the Indian who held her nerves and forced her Japanese opponent to make a few errors as she claimed the second game in style. With this win, she avenged her 2017 World Championships final loss.

Sindhu's win meant that the head-to-head record between the two is now levelled at 6-6.

Earlier, India's men's singles campaign ended as Sai Praneeth lost to Japan's Kento Momota in 39 minutes. Sai Praneeth, who lost the game 12-21, 12-21, never looked in the game as his opponent dominated him from the word go.

In the mixed doubles event, the pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa went down to the Chinese pair of Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong 17-21, 10-21 in a match that lasted 37 minutes.