Nervous Night – Semi-Finals: YONEX All England Open 2018
Another Women’s Singles blockbuster; a nerve-jangling Mixed Doubles shoot-out; and a polished exhibition by the self-professed ‘old men’ of badminton highlighted tonight’s semi-finals of the YONEX All England Open…
· GAYLE ALLEYNE
Another Women’s Singles blockbuster; a nerve-jangling Mixed Doubles shoot-out; and a polished exhibition by the self-professed ‘old men’ of badminton highlighted tonight’s semi-finals of the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships 2018.
Fans were treated to some high-quality matches in which they were put through the emotional wringer. First up was Akane Yamaguchi’s tension-filled takedown of India’s Pusarla V Sindhu to open the evening session; another enthralling battle that once more showcased the women’s solo event as the sport’s most compelling category right now.
The match ebbed and flowed as first Pusarla – off to a flying 8-3 start – grabbed the ascendancy, only for Yamaguchi to bounce back and then falter against her tall rival’s renowned attack before finally prevailing thanks to some late, sustained aggression which appeared to catch Pusarla off-guard.