Sindhu Breaks Semifinal Drought at Malaysia Open
India’s badminton icon P.V. Sindhu advanced to the semifinals of the Malaysia Open Super 1000 tournament in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, reaching this stage of the competition for the first time since 2018.
The quarterfinal encounter against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi ended prematurely after Sindhu comfortably claimed the opening game 21-11. Yamaguchi, who entered the match with a knee brace, chose to retire due to injury concerns.
Encouraging Signs as Sindhu Continues Comeback Journey
The former world champion, currently ranked world No. 18, looked sharp and composed as she continued her return from a prolonged injury break. The victory extended her head-to-head advantage over Yamaguchi to 15-12.
Sindhu’s performance has raised optimism as she builds momentum ahead of future international events, keeping her long-term Olympic ambitions firmly in sight.
Challenging Semifinal Clash Awaits the Indian Star
The two-time Olympic medallist will next face either Indonesia’s sixth-seeded Putri Kusuma Wardani or China’s second seed Wang Zhi Yi in what is expected to be a demanding semifinal showdown.
Satwik-Chirag Exit After Hard-Fought Men’s Doubles Quarterfinal
India’s leading men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, were knocked out in the quarterfinals after a straight-games loss to Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.
The Indonesian pair dominated the opening game 21-10. Satwik and Chirag mounted a strong fightback in the second game but fell just short, losing 23-21 to conclude their campaign at the Malaysia Open 2026.
