Dubai World Superseries Finals 2017, Group Stage: PV Sindhu vs Akane Yamaguchi, Live Badminton Score and Updates

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And with that win, PV Sindhu tops her group. That was a pretty big statement made by her ahead of the knockout rounds. She never took her foot off the pedal and did everything right. That would do a world of good to her confidence as she sets her sights on the semi-finals.

Final score: Sindhu def Yamaguchi, 21-9, 21-13 in 36 minutes.

Great retrieving from Sindhu and superb touch at the net by her to bag the win.

Match points for Sindhu at 20-13

It's 19-13 to SIndhu

Just 2 points away from the win

A great angular shot from Sindhu to go up further to 18-12

Sindhu went back behind Akane to surprise the Japanese and it worked.

Sindhu surges to 17-12

Now suddenly a spark of life from the Japanese.

She gets 2 points on the trot and trails 12-14

She is now trying to move the Indian from side to side. Sindhu lost the first point but not the second.

Up 14-10

Yamaguchi continues to target the lines and keeps on missing them. The strategy is just not helping her at all.

Sindhu up 13-9

A 3-point advantage for the Indian at 11-8

Yamaguchi trying to fight back even though she is looking thoroughly tired. She is now 8-10

It's 9-7 to SIndhu currently.

The rallies have become longer and the pace of the match has slowed down.

It's a long rally and Akane gives her best only to miss the sideline!

She now trails 5-7

Sindhu asserts herself again. She has now built a 2-point lead at 6-4

Sindhu now has a slight edge of 4-3

Can Yamaguchi fight back here and show her usual brilliance in this game?

More competitive start to the game....2-2

SECOND GAME

1-1

What a rally and Sindhu bags the opener with a smart drop.

21-9 it is to the Indian.

Beautiful drop to save another one.

9-20

Akane saves one.

8-20

Sindhu has a host of game points at 20-7

Yamaguchi looks a pale shadow of herself. No sharpness at all.

Sindhu up 19-7

It's all heading in one direction and that is not in the direction of Japan

Yamaguchi's errors simply not helping her cause.

She now trails 7-17

Sindhu refuses to relent.

Up 15-5

Simply toying with the World No. 2

It's already an 11-point lead for the World No. 3

Sindhu up 14-3

Yamaguchi gets just her second point of the match!

She trails 2-12

Just unbelievable!

And 11-1 to Sindhu going into the mid-game interval.

Brutal and brilliant!

It's 10-1 to Sindhu

9-1 to Sindhu!

Extraordinary start! The crowd can't get enough of it!

7-1 to the World Championships silver medallist!

Just one-way traffic so far!

Yamaguchi is finally on the board at 1-5

And the Indian extends it further to 5-0

It's 4-0 to Sindhu

A very positive start, but one can never take a player of Yamaguchi's calibre lightly.

Sindhu establishes an early lead of 3-0 here

First point to Sindhu

The No. 1 seed Yamaguchi to serve.

Good evening! The players are on court and the match is about to begin.

Good afternoon and welcome to the Sportskeeda liveblog of the 2017 Dubai World Superseries Finals. In today's schedule, it is Sindhu, who will be the first Indian in action.

A most exciting encounter awaits for badminton fans as the best two players of Group A will clash in this final round robin match. It is World No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi vs the World No. 3 PV Sindhu and winner of this match will become the group topper. Both have notched up two wins at this tournament so far and have booked their semi-final berths, so there is definitely a lot less pressure riding on their shoulders.

But the outcome of this match is also extremely crucial for it will decide who they get to face in the semi-finals.

Both of them won one match in straight games and dropped a game in the other -- to the very same player, He Bingjiao. The Japanese has been the most consistent player since the World Championships and has reached three Superseries finals, winning one. She and Sindhu have met twice since the World Championships and have split their matches, with the overall head-to-head record being a 4-2 lead for the Indian.

This is a tough match for both but if Sindhu can stamp her authority and stop the Japanese from her playing usual deceptive strokes, then she definitely has a chance.