Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu suffered another heart-wrenching defeat against World No. 2, Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, to finish as runner-up at the Dubai Super Series Final here today.

In the prestigious season-ending tournament finale, Sindhu played her heart out before going down fighting 21-15 12-21 19-21 to Yamaguchi in an energy-sapping summit clash that lasted an hour and 31 minutes.

It was Sindhu&#39;s third loss in a major final, following her narrow defeats at the Rio Olympics and Glasgow World Championship.

Coming into the match with a 5-2 head-to-head record, Sindhu, who had defeated Yamaguchi on Friday in the last group match, failed to outlast the diminutive Japanese, who showed better precision and athleticism to clinch the title.

The 22-year-old Indian, who is playing her fourth Super Series final of the year, thus could not surpass Saina Nehwal, who had reached the final in 2011 and mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V Diju, who also ended runners-up in 2009.

Sindhu had won two super series titles at India Open and Korea Open, besides reaching the finals at Hong Kong Open and World Championship this year.&nbsp;

Sindhu lost 21-15, 12-2, 19-21 to Japan's Akane Yamaguchi

Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu suffered another heart-wrenching defeat against World No. 2, Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, to finish as runner-up at the Dubai Super Series Final here today. In the prestigious season-ending tournament finale, Sindhu played her heart out before going down fighting 21-15 12-21 19-21 to Yamaguchi in an energy-sapping summit clash that lasted an hour and 31 minutes. It was Sindhu's third loss in a major final, following her narrow defeats at the Rio Olympics and Glasgow World Championship. Coming into the match with a 5-2 head-to-head record, Sindhu, who had defeated Yamaguchi on Friday in the last group match, failed to outlast the diminutive Japanese, who showed better precision and athleticism to clinch the title. The 22-year-old Indian, who is playing her fourth Super Series final of the year, thus could not surpass Saina Nehwal, who had reached the final in 2011 and mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V Diju, who also ended runners-up in 2009. Sindhu had won two super series titles at India Open and Korea Open, besides reaching the finals at Hong Kong Open and World Championship this year.

Dubai Super Series: Sindhu loses final, wins silver

Olympic silver-medallist PV Sindhu today entered the title round of the women&#39;s singles in the USD one million Dubai Super Series Final after beating Chen Yufei of China in the semifinals here.&nbsp;World No&nbsp;3 Sindhu beat Chen, ranked eighth, 21-15 21-18 in a 58-minute contest at the Sheikh Hamdan Indoor Stadium here.

The Indian will now meet world number two and top seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the summit clash of the high- profile season-ending tournament tomorrow.&nbsp;Yamaguchi had beaten Ratchanok of Intanon of Thailand 17 -21 21-12 21-19 in the first semifinals earlier in the day.

Sindhu had entered the semifinals with an unbeaten record, having got the better of all her three opponents in Group A.&nbsp;She has been in fine form this season, having clinched two Super Series titles before winning a silver at the World Championship.

Sindhu had entered the semifinals with an unbeaten record, having got the better of all her three opponents in Group A

Olympic silver-medallist PV Sindhu today entered the title round of the women's singles in the USD one million Dubai Super Series Final after beating Chen Yufei of China in the semifinals here. World No 3 Sindhu beat Chen, ranked eighth, 21-15 21-18 in a 58-minute contest at the Sheikh Hamdan Indoor Stadium here. The Indian will now meet world number two and top seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the summit clash of the high- profile season-ending tournament tomorrow. Yamaguchi had beaten Ratchanok of Intanon of Thailand 17 -21 21-12 21-19 in the first semifinals earlier in the day. Sindhu had entered the semifinals with an unbeaten record, having got the better of all her three opponents in Group A. She has been in fine form this season, having clinched two Super Series titles before winning a silver at the World Championship.

PV Sindhu enters title round of Dubai Super Series Finals

Already assured of a semifinal spot, Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu continued her rampaging run with a straight-game demolition of World No&nbsp;2 Japanese Akane Yamaguchi at the USD one million Dubai Super Series Final here today.

World No 3 Sindhu thrashed Yamaguchi 21-9 21-13 in just 36 minutes to top group A in women&#39;s singles at the Sheikh Hamdan Indoor Stadium here. This was her last group stage match.

Sindhu, who clinched two Super Series titles this season before winning a silver at the World Championship, will tomorrow face China&#39;s Chen Yufei, who saw off Thailand&#39;s Ratchanok Intanon 21-18 13-21 21-18 in another Group B match.

The 22-year-old Indian showed great anticipation and athleticism to completely dominate the proceedings even as Yamaguchi got buried under a heap of unforced errors in the last Group A women&#39;s singles match.

Before the match, Sindhu had a 4-2 head-to-head record against Yamaguchi, which included a win at the Hong Kong Super Series last month.

Sindhu made a rousing start to the match, zooming to a 5 -0 lead. An error at the net allowed Yamaguchi to break it before Sindhu wrested back the serve. The Japanese was effected by a series of unforced errors as she sent the shuttle flying wide and long.

Sindhu entered the opening break at 11-1 with a superb return and continued to rule the roost after the breather, reaching 15-4. Yamaguchi won points sporadically, exploiting the Indian&#39;s backhand a couple of times, but she failed to curb her unforced errors.

At 18-6, Sindhu committed a fault at the net but she followed that with a smash and gained 13 game points when her opponent went wide again.

Yamaguchi saved a couple of game points before Sindhu wrapped up the opening game with a delightful cross court drop.

The second game started on an equal footing with Sindhu and Yamaguchi splitting the initial four points after engaging in some fierce rallies. At 6-7, the duo engaged in a long rally before Yamaguchi sent it wide. A couple of unforced errors and Sindhu was leading 6-8.

The Japanese again narrowed it down to 8-9 before an accurate down-the-line smash and an error at the net by Yamaguchi helped Sindhu enter the lemon break with a three- point advantage.

The ordeal continued for Yamaguchi as she struggled to control the shuttle, allowing Sindhu to move to a 13-8 lead. A favourable video referral and a miscued shot by a stretched Sindhu gave a couple of points to the Japanese before Sindhu unleashed a roaring smash.

A low lift at the forecourt and an overhead return going to net further swelled Sindhu&#39;s lead. The Indian capitalised by a cross court drop, reaching 18-12.

A deceptive return and another miscued stroke by Yamaguchi handed Sindhu seven match points and she sealed it with a quick reflex near the net.&nbsp;

Already assured of a semifinal spot, the Olympic silver medallist continued her rampaging run with a straight-game demolition of the World No?2

Already assured of a semifinal spot, Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu continued her rampaging run with a straight-game demolition of World No 2 Japanese Akane Yamaguchi at the USD one million Dubai Super Series Final here today. World No 3 Sindhu thrashed Yamaguchi 21-9 21-13 in just 36 minutes to top group A in women's singles at the Sheikh Hamdan Indoor Stadium here. This was her last group stage match. Sindhu, who clinched two Super Series titles this season before winning a silver at the World Championship, will tomorrow face China's Chen Yufei, who saw off Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon 21-18 13-21 21-18 in another Group B match. The 22-year-old Indian showed great anticipation and athleticism to completely dominate the proceedings even as Yamaguchi got buried under a heap of unforced errors in the last Group A women's singles match. Before the match, Sindhu had a 4-2 head-to-head record against Yamaguchi, which included a win at the Hong Kong Super Series last month. Sindhu made a rousing start to the match, zooming to a 5 -0 lead. An error at the net allowed Yamaguchi to break it before Sindhu wrested back the serve. The Japanese was effected by a series of unforced errors as she sent the shuttle flying wide and long. Sindhu entered the opening break at 11-1 with a superb return and continued to rule the roost after the breather, reaching 15-4. Yamaguchi won points sporadically, exploiting the Indian's backhand a couple of times, but she failed to curb her unforced errors. At 18-6, Sindhu committed a fault at the net but she followed that with a smash and gained 13 game points when her opponent went wide again. Yamaguchi saved a couple of game points before Sindhu wrapped up the opening game with a delightful cross court drop. The second game started on an equal footing with Sindhu and Yamaguchi splitting the initial four points after engaging in some fierce rallies. At 6-7, the duo engaged in a long rally before Yamaguchi sent it wide. A couple of unforced errors and Sindhu was leading 6-8. The Japanese again narrowed it down to 8-9 before an accurate down-the-line smash and an error at the net by Yamaguchi helped Sindhu enter the lemon break with a three- point advantage. The ordeal continued for Yamaguchi as she struggled to control the shuttle, allowing Sindhu to move to a 13-8 lead. A favourable video referral and a miscued shot by a stretched Sindhu gave a couple of points to the Japanese before Sindhu unleashed a roaring smash. A low lift at the forecourt and an overhead return going to net further swelled Sindhu's lead. The Indian capitalised by a cross court drop, reaching 18-12. A deceptive return and another miscued stroke by Yamaguchi handed Sindhu seven match points and she sealed it with a quick reflex near the net.

PV Sindhu trounces Japan's Yamaguchi at Dubai Super Series Final

Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu notched up a comfortable straight-game win to make it to the knockout stage but Kidambi Srikanth slumped to his second consecutive loss to crash out of the Dubai Super Series Final here today.

World No 3 Sindhu took just 36 minutes to outplay Sayaka Sato of Japan 21-13 21-12 and register her second straight win at the USD 1 million event.

The 22-year-old Indian yesterday defeated World No 9 He Bingjiao of China in her campaign opener.

Thus, Sindhu now has two wins from as many matches, same as World No 2 Japanese Akane Yamaguchi. And both of them have booked a berth each at the knockouts in women&#39;s singles.

Sindhu and Yamaguchi will clash with each other in their last and final Group A match tomorrow.

However, it was all over for Srikanth today as he lost to Chinese Taipei&#39;s Chou Tien Chen to bow out of the tournament.

Even though he still has a match left in Group B, Srikanth virtually has no chance of making the next stage.

Having suffered a defeat to World No. 1 and defending champion Viktor Axelsen in his opening match yesterday, Srikanth failed to improve upon his game and went down 18-21 18-21 against Chinese Taipei&#39;s Chou Tien Chen.

World No 7 Chou took 43 minutes to stun the fourth-ranked Indian in a Group B men&#39;s singles match.

Srikanth will face All England Open finalist Shi Yuqi of China tomorrow in his final match of Group B.

Shi Yuqi, who had defeated Chou in his opening match yesterday, eked out a 13-21 21-18 21-17 win over World No 1 and defending champion Viktor Axelsen today to top Group B.

The in-form Shi Yuqi will be hoping to beat Srikanth also tomorrow, but even if the Indian manage to get the better of the World No 8 Chinese in straight games, it would not be possible for him to make the cut.

Whoever between Axelsen and Chou wins tomorrow will advance to the knockouts as the second player from Group B after Shi Yuqi.

Sindhu, who had defeated World No 15 Sayaka twice this season, dominated the match from start to finish today.

After breaking away from a 3-3 tie, Sindhu simply surged ahead and continued to extend her lead to win the first game without much ado.

The second game was no different as Sindhu never gave her rival a chance to even pose a threat. The Indian kept on marching ahead, even as the Japanese fell far behind.

However, Srikanth failed to bring out his top game again as he lagged behind from the very beginning.

Having conceded a 0-5 lead in the opener, Srikanth was always playing the catch-up game and eventually lost the first game 18-21.

Although he put up a better performance in the second game, Srikanth could not sustain the momentum till the end.

Despite leading 17-14 at one stage, Srikanth allowed his Taiwanese opponent gain three straight points and catch him at 17-17.

At 18-18, the Taiwan player reeled off three crucial points to wrap up the match in style.&nbsp;

World No 3 Sindhu took just 36 minutes to outplay Sayaka Sato of Japan 21-13 21-12 and register her second straight win at the USD 1 million event

Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu notched up a comfortable straight-game win to make it to the knockout stage but Kidambi Srikanth slumped to his second consecutive loss to crash out of the Dubai Super Series Final here today. World No 3 Sindhu took just 36 minutes to outplay Sayaka Sato of Japan 21-13 21-12 and register her second straight win at the USD 1 million event. The 22-year-old Indian yesterday defeated World No 9 He Bingjiao of China in her campaign opener. Thus, Sindhu now has two wins from as many matches, same as World No 2 Japanese Akane Yamaguchi. And both of them have booked a berth each at the knockouts in women's singles. Sindhu and Yamaguchi will clash with each other in their last and final Group A match tomorrow. However, it was all over for Srikanth today as he lost to Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen to bow out of the tournament. Even though he still has a match left in Group B, Srikanth virtually has no chance of making the next stage. Having suffered a defeat to World No. 1 and defending champion Viktor Axelsen in his opening match yesterday, Srikanth failed to improve upon his game and went down 18-21 18-21 against Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen. World No 7 Chou took 43 minutes to stun the fourth-ranked Indian in a Group B men's singles match. Srikanth will face All England Open finalist Shi Yuqi of China tomorrow in his final match of Group B. Shi Yuqi, who had defeated Chou in his opening match yesterday, eked out a 13-21 21-18 21-17 win over World No 1 and defending champion Viktor Axelsen today to top Group B. The in-form Shi Yuqi will be hoping to beat Srikanth also tomorrow, but even if the Indian manage to get the better of the World No 8 Chinese in straight games, it would not be possible for him to make the cut. Whoever between Axelsen and Chou wins tomorrow will advance to the knockouts as the second player from Group B after Shi Yuqi. Sindhu, who had defeated World No 15 Sayaka twice this season, dominated the match from start to finish today. After breaking away from a 3-3 tie, Sindhu simply surged ahead and continued to extend her lead to win the first game without much ado. The second game was no different as Sindhu never gave her rival a chance to even pose a threat. The Indian kept on marching ahead, even as the Japanese fell far behind. However, Srikanth failed to bring out his top game again as he lagged behind from the very beginning. Having conceded a 0-5 lead in the opener, Srikanth was always playing the catch-up game and eventually lost the first game 18-21. Although he put up a better performance in the second game, Srikanth could not sustain the momentum till the end. Despite leading 17-14 at one stage, Srikanth allowed his Taiwanese opponent gain three straight points and catch him at 17-17. At 18-18, the Taiwan player reeled off three crucial points to wrap up the match in style.

Dubai Super Series Final: Sindhu advances, Srikanth bows out

Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu made a positive start to her campaign in women&#39;s singles but Kidambi Srikanth suffered a straight game loss on the opening day of the USD 1 million Dubai Super Series Final, here today.

The 22-year-old Sindhu, who had a 4-5 head-to-head record against World No 9 He Bingjiao, dished out a gritty performance to overcome the left-handed Chinese 21-11 16-21 21-18 in a Group A match that lasted an hour and four minutes.

World No&nbsp;4 Srikanth, however, couldn&#39;t bring out his top game as he suffered a 13-21 17-21 loss to World No&nbsp;1 and defending champion Viktor Axelsen in a Group B men&#39;s singles match that lasted just 38 minutes.

Sindhu faces Japan&#39;s Sayaka Sato next, while Srikanth will take on Chinese Taipei&#39;s Chou Tien Chen tomorrow.

Playing an opponent she has faced twice this year, Sindhu showed good defence as she engaged her rival in rallies by putting the shuttle in awkward positions and tried to close out the points.

Sindhu showed immaculate defence to counter Bingjiao&#39;s strokes and pushed the Chinese to commit errors. The Indian led 10-6 when the Chinese produced a cross court return but she hit the net next as Sindhu held the advantage at the break.

Sindhu continued to dominate the proceedings after the break, moving 17-8 ahead when Bingjiao committed a judgemental error at the baseline. Sindhu grabbed nine game points when her opponent hit long and closed out the game with a cross-court smash.

In the second game, Bingjiao surged to 4-0 lead early on before Sindhu drew parity at 7-7 but the Chinese once again moved ahead to 10-7 when the Indian hit wide. Bingjiao eventually held a slender 11-9 lead at the break.

After the breather, Sindhu produced a perfect placement and then Bingjiao hit out twice as Sindhu enjoyed a 12-11 lead. The Chinese once again turned the tables, leading 14-12 and won a video referral and produced a couple of superb drop shots to make it 17-13 in her favour.

A whipping return at the forecourt gave a point to Sindhu but the Chinese managed to soon reach 20-15. The Indian saved one game point before the Chinese sealed it with another delectable return.

In the decider, Bingjiao led 4-2 initially but Sindhu clawed back at 5-5 when the Chinese sent the shuttle to the nets.

The Indian soon started controlling the rallies and eventually grabbed a 11-7 lead at the break.

Bingjiao continued to breathe down Sindhu&#39;s neck with her attacking game, narrowing the deficit to 16-17 after the interval.

A good judgement at the baseline after another fierce rally took Sindhu to 18-16. The Indian then earned four match points with Bingjiao going wide and long. 
 
Bingjiao saved two match points before Sindhu sealed the issue when Bingjiao faltered at the net again.

In the men&#39;s singles match, Srikanth seemed off colour as Axelsen towered over the Indian with his better agility and placement.

Srikanth, who had snapped a three-match losing streak against the Dane with a win at the quarterfinals of Denmark Open, dominated the proceedings early on and lead 8-4 at one stage. He put Axelsen out of position with his returns to lead 10-7.

However, an attacking return by Axelsen followed by a wide shot by Srikanth helped the Dane to narrow the gap to 9- 10, before Srikanth entered the break with a two-point advantage when his rival found the net.

After the breather, Axelsen came out with all guns blazing even as errors crept in Srikanth&#39;s game. His crosscourt returns, low lifts at the net -- all went wide and long. He also committed a fault when his racquet touched the net during a return.

With Srikanth failing to curb his errors, Axelsen zoomed to massive seven game points with a whipping smash. Axelsen then produced an acute angled return to leave the Indian stranded.

Axelsen continued to rule the roost in the second game, surging to a 5-1 lead at one stage. Srikanth tried to break his opponent&#39;s rhythm but the Dane managed to grab a five-point advantage at the interval.

After the break, Srikanth produced an incredible return diving to his right and then won another point when Axelsen hit wide.

Then the Indian managed to narrow the gap to 12-14 when Axelsen unleashed another big smash to grab a point. A slice gone wide was cancelled by a superb follow-up shot by Srikanth, who produced an accurate return at the baseline.

But once again errors came back to haunt Srikanth as Axelsen grabbed the match point with a superb placement and then sealed the match when the Indian hit the net.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Sindhu beat China's He Bingjiao 21-11 16-21 21-18 in a Group A match that lasted an hour and four minutes

Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu made a positive start to her campaign in women's singles but Kidambi Srikanth suffered a straight game loss on the opening day of the USD 1 million Dubai Super Series Final, here today. The 22-year-old Sindhu, who had a 4-5 head-to-head record against World No 9 He Bingjiao, dished out a gritty performance to overcome the left-handed Chinese 21-11 16-21 21-18 in a Group A match that lasted an hour and four minutes. World No 4 Srikanth, however, couldn't bring out his top game as he suffered a 13-21 17-21 loss to World No 1 and defending champion Viktor Axelsen in a Group B men's singles match that lasted just 38 minutes. Sindhu faces Japan's Sayaka Sato next, while Srikanth will take on Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen tomorrow. Playing an opponent she has faced twice this year, Sindhu showed good defence as she engaged her rival in rallies by putting the shuttle in awkward positions and tried to close out the points. Sindhu showed immaculate defence to counter Bingjiao's strokes and pushed the Chinese to commit errors. The Indian led 10-6 when the Chinese produced a cross court return but she hit the net next as Sindhu held the advantage at the break. Sindhu continued to dominate the proceedings after the break, moving 17-8 ahead when Bingjiao committed a judgemental error at the baseline. Sindhu grabbed nine game points when her opponent hit long and closed out the game with a cross-court smash. In the second game, Bingjiao surged to 4-0 lead early on before Sindhu drew parity at 7-7 but the Chinese once again moved ahead to 10-7 when the Indian hit wide. Bingjiao eventually held a slender 11-9 lead at the break. After the breather, Sindhu produced a perfect placement and then Bingjiao hit out twice as Sindhu enjoyed a 12-11 lead. The Chinese once again turned the tables, leading 14-12 and won a video referral and produced a couple of superb drop shots to make it 17-13 in her favour. A whipping return at the forecourt gave a point to Sindhu but the Chinese managed to soon reach 20-15. The Indian saved one game point before the Chinese sealed it with another delectable return. In the decider, Bingjiao led 4-2 initially but Sindhu clawed back at 5-5 when the Chinese sent the shuttle to the nets. The Indian soon started controlling the rallies and eventually grabbed a 11-7 lead at the break. Bingjiao continued to breathe down Sindhu's neck with her attacking game, narrowing the deficit to 16-17 after the interval. A good judgement at the baseline after another fierce rally took Sindhu to 18-16. The Indian then earned four match points with Bingjiao going wide and long. Bingjiao saved two match points before Sindhu sealed the issue when Bingjiao faltered at the net again. In the men's singles match, Srikanth seemed off colour as Axelsen towered over the Indian with his better agility and placement. Srikanth, who had snapped a three-match losing streak against the Dane with a win at the quarterfinals of Denmark Open, dominated the proceedings early on and lead 8-4 at one stage. He put Axelsen out of position with his returns to lead 10-7. However, an attacking return by Axelsen followed by a wide shot by Srikanth helped the Dane to narrow the gap to 9- 10, before Srikanth entered the break with a two-point advantage when his rival found the net. After the breather, Axelsen came out with all guns blazing even as errors crept in Srikanth's game. His crosscourt returns, low lifts at the net -- all went wide and long. He also committed a fault when his racquet touched the net during a return. With Srikanth failing to curb his errors, Axelsen zoomed to massive seven game points with a whipping smash. Axelsen then produced an acute angled return to leave the Indian stranded. Axelsen continued to rule the roost in the second game, surging to a 5-1 lead at one stage. Srikanth tried to break his opponent's rhythm but the Dane managed to grab a five-point advantage at the interval. After the break, Srikanth produced an incredible return diving to his right and then won another point when Axelsen hit wide. Then the Indian managed to narrow the gap to 12-14 when Axelsen unleashed another big smash to grab a point. A slice gone wide was cancelled by a superb follow-up shot by Srikanth, who produced an accurate return at the baseline. But once again errors came back to haunt Srikanth as Axelsen grabbed the match point with a superb placement and then sealed the match when the Indian hit the net.

Sindhu wins, Srikanth sinks in Dubai Super Series Final opener

dubai-super-series-final

Dubai Super Series Final, News on Dubai Super Series Final, stories on Dubai Super Series Final, articles on Dubai Super Series Final, Dubai Super Series Final stories at Wion, Dubai Super Series Final news, Dubai Super Series Final latest news

dubai super-series-final

Dubai Super Series: Sindhu loses final, wins silver

PV Sindhu enters title round of Dubai Super Series Finals

PV Sindhu trounces Japan's Yamaguchi at Dubai Super Series Final

Dubai Super Series Final: Sindhu advances, Srikanth bows out

Sindhu wins, Srikanth sinks in Dubai Super Series Final opener