Heartbreak for PV Sindhu as Akane Yamaguchi wins Dubai World Superseries Finals 2017: Here's how it happened

PV Sindhu failed to win the Dubai World Super Series Finals 2017 after losing to Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the summit clash on Sunday.

Here's how it happened:  

'17:18

Yamaguchi wins- Sindhu's error gave her the match point and she didn't waste it. 21-19

'17:16

A bad serve from Sindhu gave Yamaguchi a chance to make a good return and get the point. Yamaguchi then hit the net to make it 19-19. 

'17:13

Yamaguchi has some strength left in her and she forces some pace into the game to take one point, Sindhu comes back to win the next. 18-18

'17:10

Sindhu makes it 17-17.. what a match this has been so far. 

'17:07

Yamaguchi is getting away- leads 17-15 now.

'17:05

Yamaguchi rallies back to take the next two points but Sindhu comes back to make it 15-15. 

'17:03

What a point- it was the longest rally of the match. Sindhu finally manages to win it- both players are exhausted. Yamaguchi is down on the ground. 14-13

'17:00

Yamaguchi going for the late charge again- she levels it 13-13

'16:58

Both players are giving it their all- Sindhu leads 13-12 now. 

'16:56

Sindhu takes the next point to extend her lead to 12-10. 

'16:55

A loooooong rally goes in Yamaguchi's favour. Sindhu is leading 11-10 now. 

'16:53

Yamaguchi wins the first point after the break. Sindhu is leading 11-9. 

'16:51

Sindhu is leading 11-8 at the break in the third game. 

'16:49

There's plenty of support for Sindhu here, people are cheering every point with 'India, India' chants. She leads 10-7 now.

'16:48

It's going to be test of mental and physical resolve of the two players from here. Whoever can hold her nerve will walk away the winner. 8-7 leads Sindhu.

'16:46

It's 6-6 now.

'16:45

Sindhu catches a lucky break as her shot bounces of the net to land on the other side. However, Yamaguchi wins the next two points to make it 5-5. 

'16:42

Just like last gone Sindhu went 4-0 up but Yamaguchi rallies back to make it 4-3. Again a lot of errors from Sindhu. 

'16:38

Good start by Sindhu, she is up 2-0

'16:34

21-12... what a turnaround in the second game. Yamaguchi wins to take it to the decider.

'16:32

Sindhu is making too many errors currently. The Japanese has extended her lead tp 18-12

'16:30

Yamaguchi extends her lead to 16-11. Three consecutive points to her.

'16:28

Yamaguchi looks set to take the match to the 3rd game. Sindhu is trying to keep up. 14-11

'16:25

Yamaguchi leads 12-10 now.

'16:23

Yamaguchi leads 11-9 at the break in the second game. Good comeback from the Japanese so far.

'16:22

The games has turned now. Another long rally ends in Yamaguchi's favour. She lead 10-8 now.

'16:21

Brilliant from the Japanese here. She wins a 29-shot rally with a booming smash. Sindhu then hits one wide to surrender the lead. Yamaguchi leads 9-8 now.

'16:19

Sindhu hits one wide and then smashes the next one in the net. She leads 8-7

'16:17

Rare errors from Sindhu allow Yamaguchi to stay alive in the game. 7-5

'16:15

But Sindhu is playing on another level here- Yamaguchi can't clear the net. 7-3

'16:13

Yamaguchi is not giving up- A little lapse in concentration from Sindhu and the Japanese takes two points to make it 5-2.

'16:11

Sindhu is off to a flying start here- some great shot across the court. She is up 5-0 in a jiffy. 

'16:10 

After retying, their shoestrings, energy drinks and some (in case of Yamaguchi, a lot) wise words from the coaches- the players are back on the court. 

'16:08

Sindhu takes the first game 21-15. A long rally but she ends it with a diagonal smash. Yamaguchi can't reach it.  

'16:07

Yamaguchi takes two points to make it 20-15.

'16:05

Two great smashes - Sindhu is on fire now. Makes it 20-13.

'16:04

Sindhu is leading 18-13 now. 

'16:02

It is a see-saw battle here right now. Sindhu hangs on her lead, 16-13.

'16:01

Sindhu hits one long- the challenge goes against her. She leads 14-11 now. 

'15:59

Yamaguchi is not going away- she takes the next two points- it is 13-10 now. 

'15:58

Sindhu earns two more points after the break to make it 13-8.

'15:57

6 points on the trot. Sindhu goes into the break leading 11-8. Coach Gopichand is giving her some tips. Good comeback from Sindhu from being down 8-5. 

'15:56 

Another good smash and Yamaguchi nets the return. Sindhu leads 10-8 now.

'15:55

A rare error from Yamaguchi, she nets it and Sindhu now leads 9-8. 

'15:54

Great point for Sindhu; Yamaguchi is making her play all over the court but the Indian is up to it. She lands a drop return to make it 8-8.

'15:52

Sindhu does well to win two straight points- reduces Yamaguchi's lead to 8-7. 

'15:51

Yamaguchi is running away with it here. 3 straight points to her and she is leading 8-5 now. 

'15:50

Great intensity from both players right from the start- Yamaguchi leads 6-6 now.

'15:49

Sindhu play a good drop shot to in a point but Yamaguchi has made it 5-3 now.

'15:47

But Yamaguchi comes back to make it 4-2 in her favour. 

'15:45

And it's on... Sindhu races away to a 2-1 lead.

'15:40

The players are on the court. READY!

'15:32

Sindhu has remained unbeaten in the Dubai World Super Series Finals so far. She has also ​defeated Yamaguchi ​in group stage. She has beaten Yamaguchi five time while the Japanese has emerged victorious twice in the seven times they have clashed. 

Sindhu will be taking the court as the favourite but her opponent is ranked higher than her.  

'15:30

The award ceremony for the mixed doubles category is going on now. 

'15:20

Zheng Siwei and Chen Qingchen of China best Chun Man Tang and Ying Suet Tse of Hong Kong 21-15, 22-20 to win the mixed doubles final. ​

'15:18

Chun Man Tang and Ying Suet Tse of Hong Kong are playing Zheng Siwei and Chen Qingchen of China in the mixed doubles final right now. Sindhu's match is next.

'15:15

Viktor Axelsen of Denmark will take on Chonh Wei Lee of China in the men's singles final on Sunday.​

Sindhu defeated Chen Yufei in semifinals

Sindhu defeated Chen Yufei of China in straight games 21-15, 21-18 in the women's singles semifinals on Saturday. Yamaguchi thrashed Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon 17-21, 21-12, 21-19 in another semifinal of the day.

Sindhu, the world number 3, has last outclassed Yamaguchi in straight games in her last Group A match. 

The World no. 3 is unbeaten throughout the tournament. In her opening match, the Indian thrashed China's He Bingjao 21-11, 16-21, 21-18 and followed that up with a 21-13, 21-12 win against Japan's Sayaka Sato in second match. 

Having won the India and Korea Open Super Series at the season start, Sindhu will now aim to become the first Indian to be decorated with the yellow metal at the season-ending championship.