It has been a while since Pusarla V Sindhu made a major final. Her last World Tour final at a Super 500 tournament was over 25 months ago – the Malaysia Masters in May 2024. For anything above that level, the clock has to be dialled back 55 months, when she was in the title round of the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2021.

The return to title contention came with her first victory over Chen Yu Fei in six matches. Chen retired with a pulled muscle in her right thigh, with the Indian leading 21-19 15-10, but the retirement took nothing away from Pusarla, who looked close to her best all match and had Chen fighting a rearguard battle throughout.

“I wanted to play at 100 per cent but she played very well, her attack was explosive and I was always defending,” said Chen.

“I wasn’t comfortable. I felt I couldn’t go on in the second. I felt this pain during yesterday’s match, so I did a lot of massage and acupuncture, but today too I felt it. It’s something that I picked up in the match yesterday.”

Pusarla was happy with how well she had handled the mental side of the match.

“I’m very happy that I’m in the final. Today it was important to be focussed against a player like her. I was leading and she came close, so I had to be focussed.”

But the Indian does face another formidable challenge in the quest for her first Japan Open title, for she faces its most prolific winner, Akane Yamaguchi who has four titles.

Yamaguchi, who had pulled off an escape act in her quarterfinal, once again dragged herself back into contention in the semifinals after being blitzed 21-9 in the opening game by Putri Kusuma Wardani. Like she has innumerable times before, Yamaguchi kept up her relentless pace, deflating Wardani with sheer stubbornness even in the most hopeless of situations.

“Akane played faster in the second game,” said Wardani. “She knew what she had to do. It is what it is – she’s one of the best players, but I tried my best. I’m disappointed about the result but I’m proud of myself.”

“The support here has helped me come through,” said Yamaguchi. “It was about just trying hard all the way – a lot of people are rooting for me here, and I can’t let them down.”

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