Sindhu went down to Yamaguchi in the Thailan Open quarter-final. (BAI Media) PV Sindhu has cost Akane Yamaguchi an Olympic medal in 2021. The Japanese on her part, has stopped Sindhu from winning two coveted titles – the Badminton Asia Championships twice, including a semis – her best showing – in 2022, and prequarters in 2025. Sindhu’s best chance at winning the All England in 2018 too, was snuffed out by the now World No 3, who might be badminton’s biggest WS name to not medal at Olympics. In sheer World Championships counts, Yamaguchi has 3 titles, Sindhu has 1. It’s a long, storied rivalry which includes a cat that bizarrely sauntered into a Philippines arena court that had Yamaguchi hypnotically following its stroll and oblivious to Sindhu arguing a line call with the chair umpire. The brilliance is of course in how, Sindhu’s fighting abilities get accentuated when she plays Yamaguchi.…