All posts tagged: Yamaguchi

Why PV Sindhu tends to lose to Akane Yamaguchi

Why PV Sindhu tends to lose to Akane Yamaguchi

Published by Webster

4 min readMay 15, 2026 02:57 PM IST PV Sindhu has cost Akane Yamaguchi an Olympic medal in 2021. The Japanese on her part, has stopped Sindhu from winning two coveted titles – the Badminton Asia Championships twice, including a semis – her best showing – in 2022, and prequarters in 2025. Sindhu’s best chance at winning the All England in 2018 too, was snuffed out by the now World No 3, who might be badminton’s biggest WS name to not medal at Olympics. In sheer World Championships counts, Yamaguchi has 3 titles, Sindhu has 1. It’s a long, storied rivalry which includes a cat that bizarrely sauntered into a Philippines arena court that had Yamaguchi hypnotically following its stroll and oblivious to Sindhu arguing a line call with the chair umpire. The brilliance is of course in how, Sindhu’s fighting abilities get accentuated when she plays Yamaguchi. There’s no needle in the 13-15 rivalry because Yamaguchi is incapable of tiffing with opponents, and lives in her own world. But what’s not changed through the …

PV Sindhu in Malaysia Open semis after Yamaguchi injury retirement; Japanese had lost the first set before conceding | Badminton News

PV Sindhu in Malaysia Open semis after Yamaguchi injury retirement; Japanese had lost the first set before conceding | Badminton News

Published by Parlour News

Continuing from her blistering run against Tomoka Miyazaki, PV Sindhu was in a similar mode facing world champion Akane Yamaguchi at the Super 1000 Malaysia Open. But the struggling Japanese weathered a first set hail-storm of biting winners from the Indian, and told the chair umpire she couldn’t continue as her injury was clearly hampering her movement. Yamaguchi conceded after losing the opening set 21-11. Arriving at the court with a knee brace, Yamaguchi didn’t look too comfortable from the outset as Sindhu struck with short-back swinging, snappy down shots and built up a 10-2 lead. Yamaguchi, a defensive juggernaut, was barely moving on the day, and showed her frustration when she couldn’t nail the lines. The plan – which did fetch her 11 points – was to pin Sindhu to the back court and deny her elevation. But she remained far too error prone for the winners to matter. On the high shots, the stick smashes and the crisp drops, Sindhu, jaunty on the court and striking shuttle high, was unstoppable. She took a …

PV Sindhu in scorching form during 21-8, 21-13 win over World No 9 Tomoka Miyazaki; takes on Akane Yamaguchi on Friday | Badminton News

PV Sindhu in scorching form during 21-8, 21-13 win over World No 9 Tomoka Miyazaki; takes on Akane Yamaguchi on Friday | Badminton News

Published by Webster

It wasn’t a typical end of the year that PV Sindhu spent through November-December while kept away from badminton due to niggles. Camped in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, she watched the poster boys of tall-agility at a Lakers-Hawks NBA game, and then put in rehab sessions at a facility that helps out NFL teams. Looking fit, playing sharp when she resurfaced, the 30-year-old dialled up old-times to ring in a new competitive fervour that swept away World No 9 Tomoka Miyazaki at the Super 1000 Malaysia Open. The Indian, ranked No 18 now, was in scalding touch, leaving 19-year-old Miyazaki harangued as she was broomed off the court, during a 21-8, 21-13 win in 33 minutes, making her first Super 1000 quarterfinal of the season. “It’s one day at a time. But yes, I’ll be playing a couple of more years,” she casually and laughingly told BWF. “Today I was prepared and ready for her long rallies and strokes. Overall it was important to be on court and be alert all the time and give my …

PV Sindhu in scorching form during 21-8, 21-13 win over World No 9 Tomoka Miyazaki: takes on Akane Yamaguchi on Friday | Badminton News

PV Sindhu in scorching form during 21-8, 21-13 win over World No 9 Tomoka Miyazaki: takes on Akane Yamaguchi on Friday | Badminton News

Published by Webster

PV Sindhu was in scalding touch, leaving 19-year-old Tomoka Miyazaki harangued and was broomed off the court, as she registered a 21-8, 21-13 win in 33 minutes at the Malaysian Open. The Indian made the first Super 1000 quarterfinal of the season. Sindhu renews her rivalry with Akane Yamaguchi and will fancy her chanves against the world champion, seeded third, on Friday. Swift on her feet, and picking the shuttle early, Sindhu went about business with urgency and clarity in decision making. Miyazaki’s breakthrough season last year saw the Japanese teen make it to the Top 10 on the back of a typical running rigour and a bagful of deceptive tricks. But she’s nowhere close to Ratchanok Intanon or Tai Tzu-ying in her disguises. Moreover, Sindhu was in pristine form using her power-game combined with speed to overwhelm the opponent, a decade younger than her. Sindhu can almost be said to have found a second wind in her speed-game, and Indonesian coach Irwansyah has clearly smoothened out her movements to enable clean lines and faster …

Badminton Asia C’ships: PV Sindhu to renew rivalry against Akane Yamaguchi; Lakshya, Prannoy bow out | Badminton News

Badminton Asia C’ships: PV Sindhu to renew rivalry against Akane Yamaguchi; Lakshya, Prannoy bow out | Badminton News

Published by Webster

For the first time since July 2023, PV Sindhu and Akane Yamaguchi – two familiar foes who are part of the golden generation of women’s singles that is trying to keep the fight going – will face off each other on Thursday at the Badminton Asia Championships. It will be the 26th meeting of their decorated careers, but one that comes at a time when Sindhu is still trying to find her rhythm back on the tour. Even world No 4 Yamaguchi, once one of the ever-present players on the tour, hasn’t been too active this year, beginning her season only at the All England last month. This is a match-up that Sindhu has enjoyed in the past, winning 14 of their 25 matches, and in the second round in Ningbo, the Indian will look to make a statement that she is still capable of pushing the top 5 on her day. In the first-round on Wednesday, Sindhu ensured she didn’t get stretched too much by Indonesia’s Ester Wardoyo as she won 21-15, 21-19. One …

Malvika Bansod is up against Akane Yamaguchi- Blog, Scores, Updates

Published by Webster

China Open 2024 Live: The last Super1000 tournament of the year, the China Open, has reached its quarterfinal stage and is scheduled to take place in Changzhou, China on Friday. Malvika Bansod, who is having a dream run in this tournament, is the lone Indian shuttler in the quarterfinal. She will take on the two-time world champion, Akane Yamaguchi of Japan at 10:00 AM IST. Catch all the Live updates here: Source link

Uber Cup: Isharani Baruah, with a jump smash in the Akane Yamaguchi mould, is pure joy to watch | Badminton News

Published by Webster

The jump drop mixed with the leaping clears are slowly gentrifying Isharani Baruah’s wild, untamed, no-care-in-the world free jump smash. Big cities like Bangalore tend to do that, but perhaps the dashing teenager from Dibrugarh in Assam, needs the sophistication of mixing fast drops and half smashes and clears with the dizzy airborne smash, to sustain her badminton. Isharani started with a comfortable straight sets win against Canada playing second singles in the Uber Cup where India has fielded a callow bunch of girls – not yet women – in the absence of PV Sindhu, who opted out. But for Isharani, the crazyball who dives and bounces about the court with energy, a la Akane Yamaguchi, this Uber Cup might be the rare international top flight sighting of the jump smash – before it gets nuanced, tempered and disciplined. Though you hope it doesn’t altogether disappear. Ashmita Chaliha, the second Assamese, and slightly older, is also in possession of a wonderful jump smash. When it comes off, as it did against Michelle Li, the southpaw …

Viktor Axelsen, Akane Yamaguchi Sail Into India Open Final

Published by Webster

Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen and Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi’s dominance continued as they stayed on course for a second successive title, progressing to the finals of the India Open Super 750 in New Delhi on Saturday. After world no.1 Yamaguchi beat Thailand’s defending champion Supanida Katethong 21-17 21-16 in the women’s singles, Axelsen, also world no. 1, streamrolled fourth seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia 21-6 21-12 in the men’s event. In the summit clash, Yamaguchi will face Korean sensation An Seyoung in a repeat of last week’s Malaysia Open Super 750 final while Axelsen is pitted against the mercurial Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand. It was a no contest in men’s singles as Axelsen, who had more time to rest after Friday’s interrupted quarterfinals, smashed through the defence of a struggling Christie during the lop-sided 38 minute clash. Christie tried to bring down the shuttle at a steeper angle but ended up spraying into net repeatedly. He was also guilty of allowing his rival to use his trademark jump smashes. Axelsen also used his height to reach every …

India Open: Top Seeds Akane Yamaguchi, Viktor Axelsen Reach Semi-Finals

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India Open: Viktor Axelsen will face Jonatan Christie in the semis© AFP Top seed Akane Yamaguchi beat three-time former world champion Carolina Marin to reach the semi-finals of the India Open badminton on Friday in three games. In the men’s competition, world number one Viktor Axelsen also made the last four in New Delhi. Japan’s Yamaguchi defeated Spain’s Marin 21-17, 14-21, 21-9 as she chases successive titles to start the season. Yamaguchi, herself a two-time world champion and the current world number one, faces Supanida Katethong of Thailand in the last four on Saturday. The other women’s semi-final is between China’s He Bingjiao and South Korea’s second seed An Se-young. In the men’s singles, top seed Axelsen advanced after his Danish compatriot Rasmus Gemke suffered a leg injury during the first game and had to retire. Axelsen will take on Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie. The other semi-final is between Anth Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia and Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Featured Video Of …