PV Sindhu enters Maiden Super 750 Final at Japan Open
Tokyo, July 18
Indian badminton star PV Sindhu advanced to the women's singles final of the Japan Open 2026 after her semi-final opponent Chen Yufei of the People's Republic of China retired hurt midway through the second game on Saturday.
The Olympic medallist, ranked 12th in the world, was leading the match 21-19, 15-10 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium when Chen, the world No. 4 and former Olympic champion, withdrew due to a hamstring injury, according to Olympics.com.
Sindhu will now take on Japan's world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi in the title clash on Sunday. Yamaguchi booked her place in the final after defeating Indonesia's sixth-ranked Putri Kusuma Wardani in the other semi-final.
The final will mark Sindhu's first appearance in a BWF World Tour title clash since she won the Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament in December 2024. It will also be her maiden final appearance at a BWF Super 750 event.
Coming into the semi-final with an 8-6 head-to-head record against Chen, Sindhu made a strong start and raced to a 16-11 lead in the opening game. However, Chen, who had defeated Sindhu in their previous four meetings, fought back to level the score at 18-18. Sindhu held her nerve in the closing stages to take the first game 21-19.
The Indian continued her momentum in the second game and maintained the lead before Chen was forced to stop the contest after 44 minutes due to injury, according to Olympics.com.
Sindhu's previous win over Chen had come in the semi-finals of the 2019 BWF World Championships, where the Indian went on to claim the title.
With this victory, Sindhu became the first Indian shuttler to reach the Japan Open final. She is also the only Indian player remaining in the tournament this year.
India's campaign in the event saw early exits for Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty, who were knocked out in the opening round, while the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty had to retire hurt during their first match. The mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also bowed out in the pre-quarterfinals.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Disappointed that Chen had to retire, but that's sports. Sindhu was playing superbly, leading both games. Her defense and cross-court smashes were on point. Yamaguchi will be tough at home in Japan, but if Sindhu plays like this, she has a real chance. Fingers crossed! 🤞
It's great news, but let's not get carried away. Sindhu has struggled in big finals recently. Winning the Super 300 was nice, but a Super 750 final is a different level. I hope her fitness and mental strength hold up. Would love to see the old champion back. Also, sad for the other Indians who had early exits—Lakshya and Satwik-Chirag need to work hard.
Incredible resilience! Coming back after losing 4 straight matches to Chen Yufei and leading so convincingly—that's the mark of a champion. The way she handled the pressure at 18-18 in the first game was pure class. Now we need a big performance in the final. Go Sindhu! 🏸🔥
From a Western perspective, it's great to see Sindhu reaching a Super 750 final, her first. The competition level is immense, and she's still a force despite being ranked 12th. Her previous World Championship win was iconic. Hoping she can add another trophy to her cabinet. Best wishes from the US!
This is such proud moment for Indian badminton! She's the first Indian to reach the Japan Open final—that's a huge achievement. I just hope her opponent's injury
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