PV Sindhu scripts history, becomes first Indian to win BWF Japan Open
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "PV Sindhu scripts history, becomes first Indian to win BWF Japan Open")
PV Sindhu at the podium Photograph: (BAI)
PV Sindhu claimed her maiden Super 750 title by defeating Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 in the Japan Open final, becoming the first Indian to win the tournament.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu delivered a throwback performance, defeating Akane Yamaguchi in straight games and capturing her maiden Super 750 title at the Japan Open on Sunday. She became the first Indian to win the tournament, sealing a 21-17, 21-17 victory over the three-time world champion and ending a title drought of more than two years. It also marked her biggest triumph since the World Championships crown in 2019, with her previous title coming at the Syed Modi International in 2024.
Yamaguchi, playing her sixth Japan Open final, had enjoyed the upper hand in recent meetings, Sindhu had not beaten her in a completed match in four years, with their last full-match win dating back to the Thailand Open in 2022. Their earlier clash at the Malaysia Open this year ended prematurely after Yamaguchi retired following the opening game.
On Sunday, however, Sindhu was in complete command and had the tempo from the outset, mixing powerful smashes with precise net play and consistently found solutions whenever Yamaguchi attempted to shift momentum. Sindhu surged to a 3-0 start before a series of unforced errors and sharp responses from Yamaguchi brought it back to 3-3.
The early exchanges saw both players trade errors, with Yamaguchi’s service mistake levelling the score at 5-5. From there, Sindhu began asserting control, constructing rallies patiently and finishing with authority to move 8-6 ahead.
A fierce smash extended her lead to 9-6, but back-to-back errors allowed Yamaguchi to claw back. A body smash from the Japanese made it 9-9 and Sindhu misjudged a return to trail by two points at the interval.
The Indian responded strongly after the break, winning a 36-shot rally to level at 11-11. A blistering cross-court smash pushed her ahead at 13-12 and she followed it up with a composed stretch of play, forcing errors and winning a net exchange, to build a 16-12 cushion.
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Yamaguchi fought back with clever placement and resilience and at 17-15, the pair produced a stunning 38-shot rally before the scores were level again.
Sindhu, however, elevated her game at the crucial juncture. A sharp cross-court smash and an error from Yamaguchi handed her a 19-17 lead and she soon wrapped up the opening game with a precise push to the backhand corner.
Carrying that momentum into the second game, Sindhu tightened her grip on the contest. She dominated the forecourt, took the shuttle early and piled pressure on her opponent. A 44-shot rally ended with Yamaguchi hitting wide, as Sindhu strung together six straight points to race to an 8-3 lead.
Though a brief dip, including two net errors and a long return, allowed Yamaguchi to close in at 8-7, Sindhu quickly regained composure to enter the interval ahead at 11-7. The Japanese struggled with consistency thereafter, sending multiple returns long and even losing a video challenge as Sindhu stretched the lead to 14-7.
Yamaguchi mounted one final push, reducing the deficit to 14-12 with a mix of precision and capitalising on Sindhu’s errors, but the Indian steadied herself at the right moment.
Two powerful smashes took her to 17-14 and another error from Yamaguchi left her three points from the title.
A hint of nerves saw Sindhu hit the net twice, allowing Yamaguchi to close to 19-17. But the home favourite faltered again with a wide return, handing Sindhu three championship points.
She sealed the match when Yamaguchi’s final shot drifted long, a call confirmed on review, before celebrating the landmark win with her coach.
With inputs from agencies
