Yamaguchi bows out of badminton's Thailand Open / Photo: © AFP/File
Yamaguchi bows out of badminton's Thailand Open
Top-ranked Akane Yamaguchi crashed out of the Thailand Open on Friday as Indian badminton star P.V. Sindhu powered home in a three-game thriller to book herself a spot in the semi-finals.
The Japanese reigning world champion struggled to assert herself in the first game as Sindhu went on a seven-point streak after the interval to claim the game 21-15.
Yamaguchi moved stiffly and appeared to be suffering from some kind of injury as she held off an aggressive Sindhu 22-20 to force a decider.
But Sindhu then marched off with the match, claiming the final game 21-13, and will meet Chinese Olympic champion Chen Yufei in Saturday's semi-final.
Meanwhile second-ranked Tai Tzu-ying held her nerve in her match against China's He Bingjiao, who is ninth in the world.
Superior technical skills helped the Taiwanese 27-year-old bulldoze her opponent 21-10 in the first game.
He then fought back hard in the second to equalise 21-14.
Tai made a flying start in the third and was up by eight points at the interval, but He stepped up the pressure and closed the margin to two points.
But Tai held on to win 21-18, with a highlight being a near-impossible pirouette backhand.
She will next meet Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon.
In the men's singles, sixth-ranked Malaysian Lee Zii Jia had some magical moments including a spectacular backwards winner as he outclassed Indonesian Shesar Hiren Rhustavito 21-10, 14-21, 21-16.
It will be an all-Malaysian affair when Lee next plays compatriot Daren Liew, while China's Li Shifeng will face off against Japan's Kodai Naraoka.
On Thursday badminton world number one Viktor Axelsen pulled out of the tournament citing an injury he sustained at last week's Thomas and Uber Cup finals.
Out-of-sorts former world champion Kento Momota slumped out in the first round on Wednesday.
S.O'brien--TNT
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