India's star badminton player, PV Sindhu, has made it to the final of a major tournament after nearly two years, delivering a stellar performance. In the women's singles semi-finals, Sindhu faced Tokyo Olympic gold medalist and world No. 4 Chen Yu Fei of China. Chen retired hurt due to a hamstring injury during the match, allowing Sindhu to advance to the Japan Open title match.

In the semi-finals, Sindhu won the first game 21-19 and held a 15-10 lead in the second. At that point, Chen, still struggling with an injury, expressed her inability to continue and withdrew from the match.

First final since 2024; last major title won in 2022

This will be Sindhu's first final since the Syed Modi International 2024. Previously, she finished runner-up at the Malaysia Open Super 500. Sindhu won her last major international title at the 2022 Singapore Open Super 500. She will now face the winner of the second semi-final between Japan's Akane Yamaguchi and Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani in Sunday's final. 

A challenging record against Chen Yu Fei

Prior to the match, Sindhu, ranked 12th in the world, had a 6-8 head-to-head record against Chen Yu Fei. Chen had won all four of her previous encounters, including a straight-game victory at the Indonesia Masters this year. Sindhu's last victory over Chen came in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Badminton Championships, where she created history by becoming India's first world badminton champion.

Sindhu maintained dominance from the start

In the semi-finals, Sindhu started with confidence, taking a 6-5 lead in the opening stages and then leading 11-7 at the mid-game break. Chen made a comeback in the final moments of the first game, leveling the score at 18-18, but Sindhu maintained her composure and won the game 21-19.

The Indian continued her aggressive play in the second game, taking a 15-10 lead. Meanwhile, Chen Yu Fei, suffering from a hamstring injury, decided to retire, ensuring Sindhu's passage to the final.