Aces roar on in Badminton Asia

MANILA, Philippines — Japanese defending champion Akane Yamaguchi and Indian star Pusarla Sindhu set up an explosive women’s singles semifinal duel in the Smart Badminton Asia Championships with hard-earned victories yesterday at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex in Muntinlupa City.

The top-seeded Yamaguchi shrugged off a slow start in disposing of Thai ace Pornpawee Chochuwong in a thrilling quarterfinal three-setter, 9-21, 21-15, 21-17.

Yamaguchi needed a strong second set and an even stronger closeout in getting past the tough challenge of the sixth-ranked Chochuwong and following No. 4 Sindhu into the Final Four.

Sindhu similarly dug deep before getting the job done against Chinese rival He Bing Jao, 21-9, 13-21, 21-19.

After failing to end it in set two, the 2019 world champion and Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist from India reasserted herself in the decider, where she seized a 20-16 cushion and fended off He’s late rallies.

Also advancing into the semis was China’s Wang Zhi Yi, who turned back Chinese Taipei’s Wen Chi Hsu, 21-19, 21-9, in the other half of the bracket. Wang awaits the winner of the Last-8 duel between second seed An Se Young of Korea and No. 8 Sayaka Takahashi.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo clinched the first Last-4 seat in the men’s singles following a 21-17, 21-14 triumph over China’s Li Shi Feng.

Wardoyo, the 23-year-old bet who knocked out Japanese holder Kento Momota in the Round-of-32, seeks to continue his magical run against either reigning world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore or compatriot Jonatan Christie.

No. 8 Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin of Malaysia blanked China’s Ren Xiang Yu and Tang Qiang, 21-19, 21-14, for a semis ticket in the men’s doubles.