BWF Dubai World Superseries Finals 2017: PV Sindhu fails Japanese test again, loses to Akane Yamaguchi in three grueling games

New Delhi: Ace shuttler PV Sindhu failed the Japanese test again, losing the title clash of women's singles event at the season-ending BWF World Superseries Finals to Akane Yamaguchi in Dubai. The 22-year-old Indian lost the match 21-15, 12-21, 21-19 to top-seed Japanese girl in a thriller, which lasted one hour and 34 minutes.

The lanky Indian started in a confident note, winning the first game, but a poor second game allowed her opponent to force a decider, which proved detrimental once again. This was Sindhu's third defeat in big finals this year, following the final loses in Rio Olympics and Glasgow World Championships.

In August, Sindhu lost to Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the final of 2017 BWF World Championships in three grueling games 19-21, 22-20, 20-22, which many described as one of the greatest ever in the history.

In the first game, a confident Sindhu started strongly, taking the lead.  But she soon found herself trailing 4-2. Then, the undefeated Indian utilised her all-round game to dominate the proceedings as the game wore on.

She made it 8-8, then took a 12-8 lead. It's the opening she needed, and closed out with a series of smashes. She won the first game 21-15, despite the Japanese girl doing everything to delay what it seemed an inevitable conclusion.

Sindhu continued with her dominant form in the second game, leading 2-0 at the very outset, then increasing it to 4-0. But the former two-time world girls champion posed a fightback to make it 7-8, reducing Sindhu's lead to only one point.

Meeting for the seventh time, the Japanese girl took lead for the first time in the second game, and increased it to 11-9 as the Indian shuttler lost her rhythm at a crucial juncture. And in quick time, it became 18-12 from 16-11 in favour of Yamaguchi.

The 20-year-old Japanese girl then forced the decider, winning the second game 20-12.

Sindhu started the decider with a two-point lead, then making it 4-1. But world number two Yamaguchi showed the grit needed in crunch matches as this to make it 5-5, before allowing Sindhu to lead 6-5.

And yet again, Yamaguchi fought back to make it 6-6. From 8-7, Sindhu took a two-point lead at 10-8, and the players switched court for the one last time in the match. At 11-9, Sindhu challenged a drop shot at the far post after a long rally, which returned negative.

Still leading by a solitary point, Sindhu resorted to her delaying tactics to catch some breath even as a usually reticent Pullela Gopichand tried to infuse his ward with some life from the sideline. Sindhu did won the next point thanks to a net crash from her opponent, but lost the next point after sending it long.

In their previous meeting at Hong Kong Open, which Sindhu eventually won, beat Yamaguchi 21-12, 21-19 in the third round.

From 13-13, they indulged in an unbelievable rally which left the Japanese player flat on the ground. Then, after 14-14, Sindhu sent another shot long to give away the lead, but she responded it with a beautiful cross-court flick to drew the parity.

Sindhu, trailing by two points, took the gamble to utilised the remaining challenge and it returned in her favour to make it 16-17. It became 17-17 with Yamaguchi crashing her return into the net.

But, Sindhu sent her return long, once again, to concede the lead again. Then, out of nowhere, Sindhu, leaping high, produced a cross-court smash to make it 18-18.

Then, at 19-19, Sindhu played her back-flick into the net to give the Championship point to her opponent. A similar point, into the net, and Yamaguchi won the season-ending tournament.

In 2011, Saina Nehwal became the first Indian to play in the title round of the prestigious season-ending tournament, but lost to Chinese Wang Yihan in three games 21-18, 13-21, 13-21 to return as the runners-up. Sindhu suffered a similar fate today.

But the defeat didn't take anything away from Sindhu, who had a stellar year.

Earlier in the year, she became the first Indian woman to win a silver medal in an Olympic individual event in Rio. She then clinched the India Open Super Series and Korea Open Super Series, besides bagging the silver at Glasgow World Championship and finishing as runners-up at Hong Kong Open last month.