Indian champion advances to final four

Indian badminton star PV Sindhu secured her spot in the Japan Open 2026 semifinals without stepping onto the court. Her scheduled quarterfinal opponent, local favorite Nozomi Okuhara, withdrew from the competition before their match began. Officials at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium cancelled the encounter, handing the two-time Olympic medalist a walkover into the next round. Okuhara had previously advanced because top seed An Se-young pulled out due to injury. Ranked tenth globally, Sindhu now prepares for a formidable challenge. She faces world number four Chen Yufei of China in the upcoming women's singles clash.

Upcoming Semifinal Clash

Chen captured gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and boasts an impressive 8-6 head-to-head record against the Indian shuttler. Sindhu lost their last four meetings. Her most recent triumph over the Chinese champion happened during the 2019 BWF World Championships, an event where she eventually secured the gold medal.

This season has seen Chen dominate the circuit. She reached at least the semifinals in all nine of her BWF World Tour entries, including a title victory at the Indonesia Masters in January. Sindhu earned her quarterfinal spot by defeating world number five Han Yue. This weekend marks Sindhu’s third semifinal appearance on the current tour, following strong runs at the Malaysia and Australia Opens. She currently remains searching for her first tournament final berth this year. Her last major tournament victory occurred at the 2024 Syed Modi International.

She stands as the sole remaining Indian contender in Tokyo. Fellow Indian athletes Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty suffered early tournament exits. Furthermore, the doubles pairings featuring Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Dhruv Kapila, and Tanisha Crasto have also concluded their campaigns prematurely.

Image Source: ANI File Photo