India’s PV Sindhu entered the final of the Japan Open 2026 final after World No. 4 Chen Yufei of China was forced to retire due to an injury midway through their semifinal clash on Saturday.
Sindhu was leading 21-19, 15-10 when Chen decided to pull out of the match with what appeared to be a hamstring problem.
Sindhu was quick off the block as she gained a four-point advantage midway through the first game. But former Olympic champion Chen clawed back to pull level at 19-19.
In the second game, Sindhu dominated early proceedings, cantering to 15-10 lead, before Chen retired. | Photo Credit: AFP
Sindhu, though, pushed past the resistance as she cashed in on the first game point she faced.
The second game followed a similar script as Sindhu dominated early proceedings, cantering to a 15-10 lead before Chen retired.
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With the win on Saturday, the 31-year-old Sindhu continued her resurgence after beginning the year ranked World No. 18. She has since climbed back into the top 10 and is now World No. 9.
In the final, Sindhu will face Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, who beat Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani in the second semifinal.
It will be Sindhu’s first final since winning the Syed Modi International in Lucknow in 2024. She had also finished runner-up at the Malaysia Open Super 500 earlier that year. Her last major title came at the Singapore Open Super 500 in 2022.
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Published on Jul 18, 2026