IMAGE: P V Sindhu had things her way against Japan’s Saena Kawakami in the semi-finals of the Singapore Open on Saturday. Photograph: Leonhard Foeger
P V Sindhu stormed into the Singapore Open final with a commanding victory over lower-ranked Japanese Saena Kawakami in the women’s singles semi-finals on Saturday.
The Indian, a double Olympics medallist who won the Syed Modi International and Swiss Open this year, beat the world No. 38 21-15, 21-7 in 32 minutes.
The 27-year-old from Hyderabad, who won bronze at the Asian Championships this year, is now one win away from her maiden Super 500 title this season.
The third seed will face the winner of the other semi-final, between Japan’s Aya Ohori and China’s Wang Zhi Yi, on Sunday.
Sindhu came into the match with a 2-0 head-to-head record, having last played the Japanese at the 2018 China Open.
Kawakami received a walk-over from top-seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei in the second round.
A former world No. 15, Kawakami, winner of the 2019 Orleans Masters and a finalist at the Swiss Open the same year, was part of the Japanese women’s team that won the bronze medal in May this year. She played just three events last year and this was her fifth tournament in 2022.
Former World champion Sindhu was in command of the semi-final as Kawakami just couldn’t control the shuttle, buried in a heap of errors during the lop-sided contest.
Sindhu started whipping smashes early one but the drift inside the hall made decision-making difficult and, at times, the precision was lacking. The power in her stroke-play though helped her take a healthy three-point lead at the break.
The 24-year-old Japanese started putting the shuttle in from difficult positions to draw parity and soon the match came alive with both fighting for each point.
Sindhu also won two video referrals, punished a weak high lift and also made good calls at the baseline to move to 18-14. A power-packed smash and then two unforced errors by Kawakami helped Sindhu seal the opening game comfortably.
Kawakami’s struggles continued in the second game as she failed to control the shuttle and conceded a 0-5 early lead.
Sindhu just had to keep engaging her opponent in the rallies and patiently wait for her mistakes. A frustrated Kawakami could wryly smile as Sindhu first grabbed a 11-4 lead at the mid-game interval and then zoomed to 17-5.
The Japanese had no answer to the Indian’s attacking forehand returns and deft backhand flicks which opened up a decisive 19-6 lead.
Sindhu sent one long but next unleashed a whipping smash from the baseline which her opponent could only send into the net. When Kawakami’s return finally went out again, Sindhu pumped her fist in celebration of her entry into the final.
The two-time Commonwealth Games medallist will lead the Indian charge at the quadrennial event in Birmingham, starting July 28.
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