Wire flash
SportsJapan Open: Sindhu reaches first Super 750 semifinal in three years after Okuhara withdrawal
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
Two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu advanced to her first Super 750 semifinal in nearly three years at the Japan Open after former world champion Nozomi Okuhara withdrew from their women's singles quarterfinal match on July 17, 2026. The 31-year-old Indian, the 2019 world champion, will now face Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yufei, who defeated South Korea's Sim Yu Jin in straight games. This marks Sindhu's third semifinal appearance of the season, following runs at the Malaysia Open Super 1000 and Australian Open Super 500. Okuhara had previously benefited from a withdrawal herself when An Se-young pulled out with a foot injury. Chen Yufei holds an 8-6 head-to-head advantage over Sindhu and has won their last four meetings, including at the 2026 Indonesia Masters. Sindhu's last win over Chen was in the 2019 World Championships semifinals, where she became India's first badminton world champion.
Source report
Published - July 17, 2026 04:32 pm IST — Tokyo
PTI
Two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu sailed into her first Super 750 semifinal in nearly three years after former world champion Nozomi Okuhara withdrew ahead of their women's singles quarterfinal match at the Japan Open here on Friday (July 17, 2026).
The 31-year-old Indian, the 2019 world champion, will feature in the last four of a Super 750 event for the first time since the Denmark Open in 2023. It is also her third semifinal appearance of the season, following impressive runs at the Malaysia Open Super 1000 and the Australian Open Super 500.
Ironically, Okuhara had herself benefited from a withdrawal in the pre-quarterfinals, progressing after South Korea's An Se-young pulled out with a left foot injury.
Sindhu's reward is a semifinal clash against Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yufei, who brushed aside South Korea's Sim Yu Jin 21-10, 21-12 to secure her place in the last four at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
The fourth-seeded Chinese holds an 8-6 head-to-head advantage over world No. 12 Sindhu and has won each of their last four meetings, including a straight-games victory at this year's Indonesia Masters.
Sindhu's most recent win over Chen came in the semifinals of the 2019 World Championships, where she went on to script history by becoming India's first badminton world champion.
Source
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Regional
Part of this Story
P.V. Sindhu wins Japan Open badminton title in Tokyo