Suspense Crime, Digital Desk : PV Sindhu made an exit in the semi-final round of the Australian Open, losing to the top seed in straight games as Akane Yamaguchi booked a final berth with a 22-20, 21-12 victory. Sindhu's exit also marks the end of India's challenge in the tournament.India's journey in the Australian Open came to an end on Saturday as PV Sindhu went down to the top-seeded Akane Yamaguchi in the women's singles semi-finals. The fixture, one that featured two of the most decorated players on the circuit, saw Yamaguchi seal her place in Sunday's championship match after a straight-game win of 22-20, 21-12.The defeat also further deepened a rivalry that has been heavily tilted in the favour of the Japanese player with Sindhu now having succumbed in 5 of the last 6 meetings between the two.In fact, for large parts of the first game, it was Sindhu who looked the more capable of ending that streak. She established a significant lead, and rode the momentum through to the mid-game interval showing no lack of confidence in her attacking play and reaping the rewards from her well placed shots from the back of the court. However, the script changed completely when Yamaguchi slowly but surely settled down.The world champion managed to progressively break down Sindhu's control of the rallies with an unpredictable mixture of pace and length and forced her to move about constantly. Her skill at combining deep clears with deft slices towards the net ensured that the momentum progressively swung away from the Indian.Although she still looked capable, surrendering her lead, Sindhu was still within striking distance and managed to save a game point, pushing the score to 20-20 and giving hopes that she would manage to seal an opening game, only for her hopes to be short lived as Yamaguchi grabbed two crucial points towards the end of the game and ensured she went ahead.The game plan was too complex for Sindhu to execute in second gameThe game was much more evenly fought. The Indian attempted to inject greater pace but Yamaguchi hit back with a well-timed volley of points that resulted in a sizable lead by the mid-game interval, which she did not relinquish for the rest of the game.Notably, the win guarantees Yamaguchi her fourth successive tour final. The Thailand Open winner is the runner-up of Singapore Open and Indonesia Open and she will now play the Thailand Open titleholder Pornpawee Chochuwong in the summit clash on Sunday.The defeat extends Sindhu's long wait for her maiden final this year, however, the Hyderabad shuttler leaves Australia with yet another semi-final appearance to her name, her second of the year, and still occupies a place in the BWF top 10. India's journey in the competition comes to a close as no other Indian managed to make it to the semi-final stage.
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