PV Sindhu storms into finals

World no.7 PV Sindhu defeated Japan’s world no.3, Akane Yamaguchi, in a hard-fought semifinals match at the BWF World Tour Finals on Saturday in Bali.

The Indian ace shuttler beat Yamaguchi 21-15, 15-21, 21-19 in a spirited match that lasted an hour and ten minutes.

The reigning world champion will face off against Korean sensation An Seyoung in Sunday’s final. An Seyoung beat Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong 25-23, 21-17 in the other semifinals played on Saturday.

This will be Sindhu’s third finals appearance at the BWF’s season-ending championship which she won back in 2018.

The world no.6 An Seyoung is in fine form with back-to-back titles under her belt, the Indonesian Masters and the Indonesian Open.

Sindhu has played An Seyoung twice before at the Denmark Open in 2019 & 2021 and the Korean has got the better of Sindhu on both occasions. Sindhu will be looking to pull one back on Sunday’s final.

In the men’s singles category, the world no.1 Viktor Axelsen thumped the world no.21 Lakshya Sen and set up a final against Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn.

Kunlavut Vitidsarn who was recently awarded the Eddy Choong Most Promising Player by BWF beat Malaysia’s All England Open Champion Lee Zii Jia in straight sets, 21-18, 21-18.

In other matches, Indonesian Marcus Gideon-Kevin Sukamuljo will compete against Japan’s Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi for the men’s doubles title. Korea’s Kim Soyeong-Kong Heeyong to play Japan’s Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida for the women’s doubles title.

Japan’s Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino to play Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taeratttanachai for the mixed doubles title.