New Delhi: Ending a 19-month title drought in spectacular fashion, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu produced a vintage display of aggressive badminton to eclipse home favourite Akane Yamaguchi in straight games, clinching the first ever Japan Open title by an Indian in Tokyo on Sunday.
The 31-year-old won 21-17, 21-17 in 50 minutes against the three-time world champion, remarkably completing the tournament without dropping a game.
The milestone victory could not have been timed better. It marked the former world champion’s biggest title since her historic World Championship gold in Basel in 2019, and her first BWF World Tour title outside India since the Singapore Open in July 2022.
More importantly, it provides a massive confidence boost less than a month before India hosts the BWF World Championships here (August 17-23) where she will be the crowd favourite at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
“I had tears in my eyes because it was very, very important for me to win,” an emotional Sindhu said in the mixed zone after the match. “I was really working hard, and kept believing that I could do it. Even though a lot of people were asking what was happening – asking if I was ‘done’, or whatever it is, I still believed in myself, my family, my coaches, and my support staff.”
The victory – it was their 30th meeting – ended a four-year stretch, marking Sindhu’s first win in a completed match against the third seeded Yamaguchi since the 2022 Thailand Open. Since then the Japanese had won every contest barring the Malaysia Open quarter-final in January where Yamaguchi retired. Their head-to-head stands at 16-14 in favour of Sindhu.
From the opening exchanges, the Indian ace dictated terms with tactical discipline and superb net play, forcing the four-time Japan Open winner to lift the shuttle, which created opportunities for the Indian to unleash her trademark cross-court and body smashes.
Though Yamaguchi fought back from 9-6 down to lead 11-9 at the mid-game interval, Sindhu restored parity at 11-11 by winning a gruelling 36-shot rally. The opening game hung in the balance at 17-17 after another breathtaking 38-shot rally, which showcased Yamaguchi’s defensive skills.
However, Sindhu stepped up when it mattered most, winning four consecutive points to seal it with a precise push into the Japanese shuttler’s backhand.
Sindhu carried that momentum into the second game. She dominated the forecourt, constructing a punishing 44-shot rally that wore down Yamaguchi and helped the Indian sprint to an 8-3 lead. She then entered the interval ahead at 11-7.
Yamaguchi mounted a spirited late charge, capitalising on a few unforced errors from Sindhu to narrow the gap to 19-17. But Sindhu stayed composed, earning championship points after a net error from Yamaguchi.
The title – her first since winning the Syed Modi International in Lucknow in December 2024 – was sealed when the home favourite’s return landed long, a call upheld by a video review, prompting an emotional celebration from the Indian camp.
Reflecting on her composure in the tense final moments, Sindhu credited her discipline. “Sometimes when you’re leading, you want to finish the rallies quicker and you tend to make simple errors, which happened in the second game. But my coach was like, ‘It’s okay, just focus on the next point.’ So, I let go of what happened and that made the difference.
“With top athletes, you cannot take it easy even though you’re leading. Each point mattered and I maintained the same aggressiveness,” she added, thanking her coach Irwansyah, strength and conditioning trainer Wayne Lombard, parents and husband Venkata Datta Sai.
The triumph positions the five-time World Championships medallist as a frontrunner to secure an unprecedented sixth medal at home next month. “I need to keep up the same tempo and maintain the same calmness. Stay confident and keep going. That is the aim,” Sindhu said.
On her way to the title, Sindhu beat Malaysian Wong Ling Ching before beating world No.5 Han Yue. Former world champion and local favourite Nozomi Okuhara gave Sindhu a walkover in the quarter-finals. Tokyo Olympics champion Chen Yufei of China pulled out due to a hamstring issue while Sindhu was leading 21-19, 15-10. These two contests helped Sindhu conserve energy to take on Yamaguchi in the final.