PV Sindhu wins thriller vs Sung Ji Hyun to reach China Open final

That was some performance. A game and three match points down, PV Sindhu stages an epic comeback. She will now take on China’s own Sun Yu in Sunday’s final, whom she trails 2-3 in head-to-head. However, the last meeting between the two came more than two years ago. The Olympic silver-medallist has come a long way since and will look to clinch her first Super Series title. Catch highlights of the match below.

16:34hrs IST: PV Sindhu defeats Sung Ji Hyun 11-21, 23-21, 21-19 in 84 minutes to enter China Open final. Sindhu will take on local favourite Sun Yu in Sunday’s title clash.

16:33hrs IST: Hyun saves one. Sindhu responds with a superb crosscourt smash. The Korean challenges, to no avail. Sindhu has done it.

16:31hrs IST: A brilliant reflex forehand from Sindhu, and an error from her opponent means Sindhu now has two match points. 20-18.

16:30hrs IST: Misjudgement from Sindhu as Hyun catches the line. The Indian hits the next one wide as the score is back level. 18-18.

16:28hrs IST: Another exchange of serves, and Hyun hits it long. Sindhu leads 17-16.

16:26hrs IST: Sindhu squanders a cosy 2-point lead as Hyun draws level. It’s 15-15.

16:22hrs IST: Hand on her hips, breathing through her mouth. Hyun looks deflated and has called for the court to be mopped on more than one occasion. A couple of loose shots from the Korean have now given the lead to Sindhu. 14-13.

16:20hrs IST: Sindhu’s signature gliding backhand goes out. Hyun leads 12-10.

16:16hrs IST: Sindhu wins two points, but Hyun wins a thrilling rally to go into the mid-game interval leading, but ever so slightly. The scorecard reads 11-10 in the Korean’s favour but Sindhu is very much in this.

16:14hrs IST: A quick exchange of serves means Hyun’s on serve and leading 9-8.

16:12hrs IST: Sindhu getting back into it. A smash down the line brings her to 7-8.

16:11hrs IST: Sindhu wins with a smash to catch Hyun before she runs away with it. The Indian would not want to go into another mid-game interval trailing behind. Hyun still leads 7-4.

16:09hrs IST: Sindhu gets the serve back and gives it away on the next point. Hyun consolidates with two quick points to make it 7-3.

16:07hrs IST: Two identical errors. Sindhu goes to retrieve two low shots and hits them long. Sung Ji Hyun now leads 4-2.

16:05hrs IST: Sindhu needs to start the deciding game on a much better note. She wins two points, but loses the next two. The Indian needs to move up a gear.

16:03hrs IST: Those match points are all academic now. Sung Ji Hyun must be ruing the multiple lost opportunities. It would be interesting to see how much the Korean has left in the tank.

16:00hrs IST: We are going all the way. Sindhu saves four match points, wins the second game 23-21 to force it to the third.

15:58hrs IST: A long rally, and Sindhu wins it with a fiery smash. Another game point for the Indian.

15:57hrs IST: A game point of her own now. And she has wasted it. 21-21.

15:56hrs IST: She has drawn level! And now taken the lead. Sindhu has saved three match points in a row.

15:55hrs IST: Sindhu has saved two match points! The second one with a beautiful angled drop shot. Hyun leads 20-19.

15:54hrs IST: Clever play from Hyun. Baits Sindhu to the net and wins it with another smash. She’s a point away from making the final. 20-17.

15:53hrs IST: Four straight points from Hyun.

15:50hrs IST: Point with a bodyline smash for Hyun, who then gives away the serve with an error. We are still level. 15-15.

15:48hrs IST: Three straight points for Sindhu. It’s neck and neck with the score at 14-14.

15:46hrs IST: Hyun wins a point, and the umpire invites the players for a towel break. The Korean leads 12-11.

15:45hrs IST: The long rally seems to have taken a lot out of Hyun, who has now given away three points with easy mistakes. We are back level at 11-11.

15:44hrs IST: Another one hit long. Could this be the turning point for Sindhu? 9-11.

15:43hrs IST: What a rally! Both players displayed solid defence and retrieving skills. Hyun hits it long and Sindhu moves to 8-11.

15:42hrs IST: Second wind and five straight points for Sung Ji Hyun, who goes into the mid-game interval with a four-point advantage. Sindhu looks deflated but we have seen her fight back before. Hyun leads 11-7.

15:37hrs IST: Sindhu gives away the single-point lead with an unforced error, and yells out something we can’t repeat here. It’s 7-7 now.

15:34hrs IST: It’s neck and neck, with constant exchange of serves. Sung Ji Hyun has slowed down ever so slightly. She did play a 70 minute-quarterfinal yesterday, after all. Second game placed precariously at 6-6.

15:32hrs IST: Sindhu has taken the lead for the first time in the match. She has moved ahead to 4-3, thanks to her opponent’s errors.

15:28hrs IST: It’s Sung Ji Hyun who seems to have changed her plans. Less volleys and more drop shots now. Successful ones at that. She leads the second game 2-1.

15:26hrs IST: 21-11. Sung Ji Hyun has taken the opening game with utmost ease. Sindhu has been forced to defend and the Indian hasn’t defended particularly well. She needs a gameplan change, pronto!

15:23hrs IST: Sung Ji Hyun is running away with the first game! The Korean is dictating the pace and ending the rallies with bodyline smashes. She leads 18-8.

15:22hrs IST: Coach Madhumita Bisht is asking Sindhu to steer away from a baseline slugfest and to engage more on the net.

15:20hrs IST: Sindhu hits it long to give away 5-point advantage at the break. Sung Ji Hyun leads 11-6.

15:16hrs IST: Sindhu wins two points with quick hands at the net. Sung Ji Hyun regains the serve with a cross-court smash. She leads the Indian 9-5.

15:13hrs IST: Sindhu regains serve, but loses it on the next point. She is yet to win two consecutive points. Sung Ji Hyun leads 7-3.

15:12hrs IST: The Korean has raced to an early 5-1 lead.

15:11hrs IST: Sung Ji Hyun to serve.

15:08 hrs IST: PV Sindhu and Sung Ji Hyun have taken the court. Sindhu has ditched her lucky yellow attire in favour of flaming red.

PV Sindhu is a win away from entering the final of China Open in Fuzhao. The Rio Olympics silver medallist will play Korean Sung Ji Hyun in the semifinal today. Catch badminton live scores and live updates of China Open match between PV Sindhu vs Ji Hyun Sung here.

PV Sindhu will start favourites against Sung Ji Hyun. The world No. 11-ranked India has 5-3 win-loss record against the seventh ranked Korean. PV Sindhu has beaten Sung Ji Hyun twice in their last three meetings, the latest one coming in the Malaysian Open in July. Sindhu won 22-20, 21-17.

Olympic silver-medallist PV Sindhu advanced to the semifinals of the China Open after defeating local favourite He Bingjiao in straight games at the USD 700,000 Super Series Premier event, on Friday.

PV Sindhu notched up a 22-20 21-10 win over Bingjiao, who has won four titles -- Bitburger Open, French Open, Japan Open and Swiss Open -- this season in women’s singles competition.

Interestingly, Sindhu won’t have a rematch with top seed and world No. 1 Carolina Marin. The Spaniard lost her quarterfinal tie against Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying 10-21, 20-22.