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PV Sindhu (WR #3) vs Chen Yufei (WR #8)
Head-to-head: Sindhu leads 3-2
Last meeting: Sindhu beat Yufei, 21-14, 21-14 in the quarter-finals of the 2017 French Open
With the round robin stage having finished, it is time to turn our attention to the knockout rounds at the ongoing World Superseries Finals in Dubai. After starting her campaign with a three-game win, India’s PV Sindhu raised her level by several notches and secured wins in straight games in her next two assignments.
Especially her last group match against the World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi was an indicator of how she is feeling. The lanky Indian needed just 36 minutes to dismantle the in-form Japanese, 21-9, 21-13 in a purely clinical display, where she was hardly ever bothered.
Sindhu looked highly confident and very sure of her tactics and let her aggression do the talking, giving glimpses that she is peaking at this tournament at the right time. Now it is a different challenge for her.
19-year-old Chen Yufei is a spirited and nimble-footed player, whose game is based on solid court coverage. That has been the reason why she has surged into the top 10 at such a young age and has found a spot among the elite eight at this tournament.
The former world junior champion justified her talent by registering two wins in three matches at this season finale. Even in her only loss -- that came against the World No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying -- she managed to take a game.
Yufei definitely has it in her to take China’s women’s singles legacy forward. The teen has even succeeded in posting two wins over the very player she will be facing today.
This will be an interesting clash. Yufei does have the potential to stretch the match and even pull off a win akin to the way she sent Sindhu packing at the Denmark Open in October.
However, one needs to remember that the Indian was pretty much out of sorts at that time and hardly ever impressed on the court since her triumph at the Korea Open. It’s a reinvigorated Sindhu now, who looks to have a lot of clarity in her thoughts and decision-making on the court.
She too has had two wins over Yufei this year, the most notable of which came in the semi-finals of the World Championships. She simply blew away the Chinese in a 21-13, 21-10 rout in that match.
That is the encounter that Sindhu will hope to take inspiration from for today’s clash. She has the experience and even the much-required rest, having spent very little time on the court on Friday. In contrast, Yufei had to battle hard for 1 hour 14 minutes to subdue Ratchanok Intanon.
Sindhu will thus be the favourite going into this match and will aim to reach the final of this prestigious event for the first time.
Here is all the information you need to know:
Tournament name: Dubai World Superseries Finals 2017
Total prize money: $1, 000, 000
Venue: Hamdan Sports Complex, Dubai
Round: Semi-finals
Date: Saturday, December 16, 2017
Time: PV Sindhu vs Chen Yufei at approx 7.30-8pm IST
Channel: Star Sports 1/Star Sports 1 HD
Livestream information: Star Sports Hotstar
