Tokyo 2020 PV Sindhu vs Tai Tzu Ying semi-final as it happened: Tai wins in straight games

05.10 pm: That will be all from this blog, join us tomorrow for the battle for bronze between Sindhu and Bingjiao. Scheduled for around 5 pm IST.

Second game, PV Sindhu 18-21 12-21 Tai Tzu Ying: Some social media reactions to that match. PV Sindhu vs He Binjiao for Bronze on Sunday at 5 pm.

Correction: The previous few updates said “first game” instead of “Second game.” Guess we were still in that first game.

Second game, PV Sindhu 18-21 12-21 Tai Tzu Ying: For Sindhu the dream of winning the Olympic gold will have to wait but she still has the massive chance to win back-to-back Olympic medals. She had to win the first game today to stand a chance because a front-running Tai is impossible to catch almost. That first game will hurt the Indian but time to recover and battle for that bronze. Will still be a huge achievement, mind you.

Second game, PV Sindhu 18-21 12-21 Tai Tzu Ying: First match point converted and it is all smiles for Tai Tzu Ying who finally has a major medal in his career!

Second game, PV Sindhu 18-21 12-20 Tai Tzu Ying: Park still trying to push Sindhu as she earns a couple of points. But not long after, 8 match points for Tai!

Second game, PV Sindhu 18-21 10-18 Tai Tzu Ying: Couple of service breaks... and then Tai plays a push to the backcourt that makes your jaw drop! How did she do that. Geez.

Second game, PV Sindhu 18-21 8-16 Tai Tzu Ying: Oh it is a 8-point advantage for Tai.

Second game, PV Sindhu 18-21 8-14 Tai Tzu Ying: The lifts are not working for Sindhu to add to the fact that Tai is keeping the shuttle down all the time! Literally no breathing space for the Indian to attack.

Second game, PV Sindhu 18-21 7-11 Tai Tzu Ying: This is just starting to slip away from the Indian. Both players making errors now and the quality is not as high as the first game because the stakes re massive at the moment. And it is the world No 1 who takes the lead into the interval as Sindhu sends a lift just long.

Second game, PV Sindhu 18-21 6-10 Tai Tzu Ying: Correction, it was 4-7. Sindhu breaks that run of points with a good smash that makes Frost wonder if she should go for cross smashes more rather than just using the straight smashes as the plan seems to be. A net error from Tai is met one with by Sindhu and she is starting to get frustrated.

Second game, PV Sindhu 18-21 4-7 Tai Tzu Ying: Oh no. Momentum for Tai, four straight points.

Second game, PV Sindhu 18-21 4-4 Tai Tzu Ying: Sindhu doing well at the start of the game 2 to take a 4-3 lead but a superb rally follows that Tai takes with a smash down the line. Sindhu did so well in that point to pick the slice drops over and over! But the backhand crosscourt proved to be her undoing, That was a 25-shot 32-second rally and TTY levels.

Aditya Chaturvedi: Sindhu with a massive task on her hands now. She’s be disappointed that she couldn’t build on her lead at the start. But there’s little to choose between the two. TTY has found a nice rhythm but Sindhu surely has the game to turn things around.

First game, PV Sindhu 18-21 Tai Tzu Ying: Sindhu’s return is not ideal and Tai pounces with a smash down the line! After trailing for most parts, Tai has taken the lead here. That would hurt Sindhu, she will need to quickly recover for the second game. (Remember she came from behind at Basel!)

First game, PV Sindhu 18-20 Tai Tzu Ying: Tai’s round the head drops are... should be illegal! Takes the lead again. Great defence from both players next point but point goes to Tai, two game points!

First game, PV Sindhu 17-17 Tai Tzu Ying: SUPER DEFENCE SINDHU, POINT TAI! Terrific from both players, Tai moving Sindhu all over the court and Sindhu responding with super coverage but ultimately the body smash sets up the point for Tai.

First game, PV Sindhu 17-16 Tai Tzu Ying: Sindhu edges ahead by a couple of points and TTY pulls off another magic point, with her slice drop from the backcourt. She plays that ridiculously well. Levels it up again Tai with a nice rally, but Sindhu ups the tempo that earns coach Park’s approval to take the lead again! GEEZZ SOO CLOSE!

First game, PV Sindhu 14-14 Tai Tzu Ying: When Tai lets out a roar, she means business. Going at Sindhu’s body pays off again.

Aditya Chaturvedi: Sindhu with the lead at the interval but TTY showing glimpses of her best with plenty of skill in the rallies. The Indian would want to attack a bit more and keep her opponent moving.

First game, PV Sindhu 13-14 Tai Tzu Ying: Back in the lead is TTY with the help of a net chord and then two big roars from Sindhu as she takes the lead back! “She could have played any shot and yet the mistake,” says Frost, something that Tai tends to do.

First game, PV Sindhu 12-11 Tai Tzu Ying: Brilliant defence from Sindhu to break that little streak Tai was on. “It is very important for Sindhu to stay in the lead here, I would like to see her attack more now,” says Morten Frost on air.

First game, PV Sindhu 11-11 Tai Tzu Ying: OH MAGIC! The most deceptive flick to the backcourt from Tai to mark a run of three straight points after the break. Sindhu needs a momentum shift here.

First game, PV Sindhu 11-8 Tai Tzu Ying: Great defence from Sindhu to go to 10 points and then Tai plays a ridiculous crosscourt net shot for a winner! How good, geez. Follows that with a backhand that goes wide and it is Sindhu with the lead at mid-game interval.

First game, PV Sindhu 9-7 Tai Tzu Ying: Just a couple of errors from Sindhu to give Tai a way back into the game and then she pumps her fist as the net chord comes in handy to help her win a point. Tai then bounces back with a body smash of her own. This is super high intensity already.

STAT: That was a 30-shot, 36 seconds rally early in the opening game that the Indian won. Good start this by Sindhu. She is up 8-4 now after a good review by Sindhu.

First game, PV Sindhu 5-2 Tai Tzu Ying: SUPER POINT! Patient point construction from both players but it is Sindhu who takes the point with a lovely crosscourt smash. Takes the next point with a sharp defensive crosscourt too.

First game, PV Sindhu 3-2 Tai Tzu Ying: Something to watch for would be if Tai makes a few more errors than is usual because this is a massive match for her, first time at this level. She takes a 2–0 lead with a body smash and then makes a couple of errors from her racket.

Players are on court. Sixth seed Sindhu vs Tai Tzu Ying, world No 1. Tai chose to receive, Sindhu chose ends.

Chen Yufei awaits the winner of PV Sindhu vs Tai Tzu Ying, HE Bingjiao will face the other shuttler for bronze.

Women’s singles, semifinal 1, Chen 21-16 13-21 21-12 He: Top seed Chen Yufei needs three games and see is through to the Olympic Games final. Sixth different women’s singles player from China to be in the gold medal match, commentator Gill Clark tells us.

Women’s singles, semifinal 1, Chen 21-16 13-21 20-12 He: EIGHT MATCH POINTS TO CHEN!

Women’s singles, semifinal 1, Chen 21-16 13-21 16-11 He: A change of ends has not resulted in a change of fortunes for He, who is trailing by 6 again. She pulls off a stunning retrieve though to keep the lead down to 5.

India at Tokyo 2020 day 8 live: Sresshankar in Long Jump, Pooja Rani in a medal worthy bout

Women’s singles, semifinal 1, Chen 21-16 13-21 11-6 He: Oh dear, what has happened here. Looks like Chen needs the doctor. Tweaked something on her foot? Ah might be a blister it seems. Break short enough, back we go.

Women’s singles, semifinal 1, Chen 21-16 13-21 11-5 He: Louder, more aggressive and cleaner game... big lead for Chen in the decider. IF we didn’t know any better we’d say she was conserving during that second game, as a tactic, knowing she would have the physical advantage here. This is a chess match.

Women’s singles, semifinal 1, Chen 21-16 13-21 8-3 He: A run of 6 straight points for Chen! And she is pumped up, lot more aggressive, in-her-opponent’s-ears more now.

Women’s singles, semifinal 1, Chen 21-16 13-21 3-3 He: This could go on a for a while folks.

Meanwhile, not far away from the Pooja Rani quarterfinal.

India at Tokyo 2020 day 8 live blog:

Women’s singles, semifinal 1, Chen 21-16 13-21 He: A 53-shot rally to start the decider between Chen and He!

Women’s singles, semifinal 1, Chen 21-16 13-21 He: The leftie takes it to the decider! Not overawed by playing the top seed, the 24-year-old plays a solid second game to take this all the way to three games. Tough to predict a winner in this one. We are already 50 minutes into this!

NUMBERS: Like we said earlier, this is the first time in her career, Tai Tzu Ying has reached the semi-finals of either the Worlds or Olympics. She has been trying to overcome the quarterfinal jinx for some time and did it in epic fashion yesterday. And against Sindhu, she has a superb 13-5 record. Here’s a look at their meetings since Rio 2016. Sindhu has won only thrice but those came at the Major events like Rio itself, World Tour Finals and the Worlds.

Women’s singles, semifinal 1, Chen 21-16 7-13 He: It is He Bingjiao with the lead at interval. This is not the most high intensity matches by the looks of things but interestingly Chen was breathing quite heavily there during the break, almost as if she is feeling the heat here. He extends the lead after the interval and looks set to force the decider.

Women’s singles, semifinal 1, Chen 21-16 5-8 He: Close, cagey battle this. He Bingjiao had a 5-1 lead at the start of the 2nd game but Chen has clawed her way back to make it 5-6 before He pulls ahead again.

THROWBACK TO BASEL 2019: PV Sindhu showed again that she is a big-tournament player as she upset the then world No 2 Tai Tzu Ying 12-21, 23-21, 21-19 in 71 pulsating minutes to reach the semi-finals of the BWF Badminton World Championships in Basel. The Indian kept her nerves and raised the game when it mattered the most to come from behind to win the encounter.

BWF World Championships: How a power-packed PV Sindhu broke down Tai Tzu Ying’s game and resolve

Women’s singles, semifinal 1: After going without a podium finish in women’s singles in 2016, China were the first to confirm a medal this time around as He Bingjiao set up a semifinal against top seed Chen Yufei. The winner will be the first finalist. Chen Yufei takes the first game 21-16.

Hello all and welcome to the live coverage of the big one on this Saturday. It is the semifinals of women’s singles at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and guaranteed medal is at stake for the winners. Our attention is on the second match that starts after the all-China battle between top seed Chen Yufei and He Bingjiao.

Indian world champion PV Sindhu and Taiwan’s number two seed Tai Tzu-ying will meet in the other women’s semi-final. Sindhu ousted Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-13, 22-20, while Tai beat Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon 14-21, 21-18, 21-18.

Stay tuned for updates.

India at Tokyo 2020 day 8 live: Vandana’s hat-trick keeps QF hope alive, Kamalpreet Kaur reaches discus final