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SportsJapan Open: Sindhu stuns world No.5 Han Yue in straight games to reach quarterfinals
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Two-time Olympic medalist P.V. Sindhu defeated world No. 5 Han Yue of China in straight games (21-16, 21-14) in just 35 minutes to advance to the quarterfinals of the Japan Open Super 750 badminton tournament in Tokyo on July 16, 2026. The world No. 10 Indian shuttler overcame a sluggish start to dominate the match, improving her head-to-head record against Han to 8-1. Sindhu will next face Japan's Nozomi Okuhara, who received a walkover after top seed An Se-young withdrew. Sindhu is now India's lone survivor in the tournament after the mixed doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila lost to top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China.
Source report
Updated - July 16, 2026 12:57 pm IST | Tokyo
PTI
Two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu produced one of her best performances of the season to outclass world No. 5 Han Yue of China in straight games, storming into the quarterfinals of the Japan Open Super 750 badminton tournament in Tokyo on Thursday (July 16, 2026).
The world No. 10 Indian needed just 35 minutes to register a commanding 21-16, 21-14 victory over the higher-ranked Chinese shuttler in their second-round contest.
After a sluggish start, the unseeded Sindhu found her rhythm midway through the opening game, striking the shuttle cleanly and dictating the rallies to take the lead. The former world champion then completely dominated the second game, racing to an 8-0 advantage before comfortably sealing the contest.
With the victory, Sindhu improved her head-to-head record against Han to 8-1.
The 31-year-old will next face familiar rival Nozomi Okuhara of Japan, who received a walkover after top seed An Se-young of South Korea withdrew from their second-round match.
Sindhu is now India's lone survivor in the tournament after the mixed doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila bowed out in the pre-quarterfinals. The Indian duo fought hard before losing 20-22, 17-21 to top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China in their round-of-16 clash, which lasted 47 minutes.
Published - July 16, 2026 12:56 pm IST
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P.V. Sindhu wins Japan Open badminton title in Tokyo