PV Sindhu wins maiden Japan Open badminton title, defeats home favourite Akane Yamaguchi
PTC News Desk: India's star shuttler PV Sindhu won her maiden Japan Open Super 750 title on Sunday after defeating home favourite Akane Yamaguchi in straight games.
The 31-year-old became the first Indian to win the Japan Open, beating three-time world champion Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 in a dominant final. The victory also ended Sindhu's title drought of more than two years and marked her biggest title since winning the World Championships in 2019.
Sindhu's previous tournament win came at the Syed Modi International in 2024.
Yamaguchi was playing in her sixth Japan Open final, while Sindhu had not defeated the Japanese star in a completed match for four years. Their last meeting at the Malaysia Open earlier this year ended after Yamaguchi retired during the opening game. Sindhu's previous full-match win over her came at the Thailand Open in 2022.
In Sunday's final, Sindhu dominated from the beginning with aggressive yet controlled badminton. She mixed powerful smashes with excellent net play, forcing Yamaguchi onto the defensive and creating opportunities to finish rallies with her trademark cross-court winners.
Sindhu raced to a 3-0 lead before Yamaguchi fought back to level the score at 3-3. The match remained closely contested in the early stages, with both players exchanging points and errors.
Yamaguchi briefly took the lead before the mid-game interval, but Sindhu responded strongly after the break. She won a thrilling 36-shot rally to level the score at 11-11 and then took control with a series of attacking shots and accurate net play.
Maintaining her composure in the crucial moments, Sindhu closed out both games 21-17 to script a historic victory and add the prestigious Japan Open title to her impressive list of achievements
- With inputs from agencies
