Yamaguchi Slays Sudirman Cup Demons – Indonesia Open: Day 6
Determined to redeem herself after a deflating loss in the Sudirman Cup final in May, Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi produced a near-perfect display to clinch the BLIBLI Indonesia Open 2019 today.
· DEV SUKUMAR
The opponent who felt the heat was India’s Pusarla V Sindhu, who was riding high after straight-games demolition jobs over Nozomi Okuhara and Chen Yu Fei in previous rounds. Pusarla was expected to continue in the same vein, but it was Yamaguchi who pulled the strings in the 21-15 21-16 result, giving her a first Indonesia Open title.
Yamaguchi’s victory stopped a sequence of four straight defeats to the Indian and marked her biggest World Tour win since the French Open last year.
The Indian had started out well, using her steep attack to open up a 12-8 lead, but Yamaguchi counter-attacked with verve. The Japanese played at a fast clip, her sharp attacking shots keeping Pusarla on edge and reeling her in. The Japanese cleverly mixed rhythm when she had to, switching to a more patient game when the situation so demanded. The precision on her clears pinned her opponent deep in the backcourt, and Yamaguchi followed up with tight shots at the net.