India’s Sindhu enters Japan Open final

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu reached her first final in more than two years after Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yufei of China retired with a hamstring injury during their women’s singles semi-final at the Japan Open on Saturday.

The 31-year-old Indian was in control of the contest, leading 21-19, 15-10, when world No. 4 Chen was forced to withdraw after struggling with a leg injury midway through the second game.

The result sends Sindhu into her first final since lifting the Syed Modi International title in Lucknow in 2024. Earlier that year, she had finished runner-up at the Malaysia Open Super 500, while her last major BWF World Tour title came at the Singapore Open Super 500 in 2022.

“I’m very happy that I’ve gone to the final,” Sindhu said after the match.

“For me, every match has mattered from the first round, especially today’s match. It was important to stay focused from the beginning because when you play against top-ranked players, every point counts. Winning that first game was really crucial.”

Sindhu will face Japan’s former world champion Akane Yamaguchi in Sunday’s title clash.

Reflecting on the match, Sindhu credited her coach for helping her stay mentally composed during key moments.

“I was very focused and my coach kept telling me that even though I was leading in the first game and she came quite close, it was important to stay focused because sometimes when you’re ahead and give away a few points, a lot of emotions go through your head,” Sindhu said.

“My coach kept saying it doesn’t matter, just focus on the next point, and that really helped. Even in the second game there were long rallies, and especially that long rally in the first game which I won, I think that was very important for me.

“In the second game as well, I was focused from the first point. It was very close, and even when I had a small lead she kept coming back. After the interval I managed to maintain that three- or four-point cushion, but unfortunately she had to retire.”