New Delhi: Two-time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu advanced to the women’s singles semi-finals of the Australian Open Super 500 badminton tournament with a dominant straight-games victory in Sydney on Friday.
The third-seeded Indian shuttler overwhelmed Chinese Taipei’s Chen Su-yu 21-6, 21-9 in a one-sided quarter-final that lasted just 27 minutes. Sindhu controlled the match from the start, using her experience, reach and court coverage to dictate rallies and keep her opponent under pressure throughout.
With the victory, Sindhu booked a place in the last four, where she will face top seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan. The former world champion holds a slight 15-13 head-to-head advantage over Yamaguchi, setting up an intriguing semi-final contest.
Sindhu looked in complete control against Chen, racing through the opening game before maintaining the same intensity in the second. Her aggressive approach and sharp movement left little room for a comeback as she wrapped up the match comfortably.
The semi-final berth comes as a timely boost for Sindhu, who has experienced an inconsistent season on the BWF World Tour. The Indian star is chasing her first title since winning the Syed Modi International in December 2024 and appears to be finding form at the right time.
Earlier in the tournament, Sindhu defeated fellow Indian Isharani Baruah to reach the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, India’s promising young talent Tanvi Sharma saw her impressive campaign come to an end in the quarter-finals. The teenager was outplayed by Yamaguchi, who secured a 21-14, 21-14 victory in just 32 minutes.
Despite the defeat, Tanvi’s strong run in the tournament has highlighted her growing potential on the international circuit. For Sindhu, however, the focus now shifts to a high-profile semi-final showdown against one of the world’s top-ranked players as she continues her quest for a long-awaited title.
