NEW DELHI: India’s PV Sindhu saw her impressive run at the Australian Open 2026 come to an end after a straight-game loss to reigning world champion Akane Yamaguchi in the women’s singles semifinals in Sydney on Saturday. Sindhu fought hard in the opening game but eventually went down 22-20, 21-12, missing out on a place in the final. The Indian shuttler had arrived in the semifinals with plenty of confidence after producing a series of strong performances. In the quarterfinals, she overwhelmed Chinese Taipei’s Chen Su-yu 21-6, 21-9 in just 27 minutes, underlining the form that had made her one of the standout players of the tournament.Ranked 10th in the world, Sindhu was making only her second semifinal appearance of the 2026 BWF World Tour season. Her previous run to the last four had come at the Malaysia Open in January, and the Australian Open marked another encouraging outing for the two-time Olympic medallist.Before reaching the quarterfinals, Sindhu had defeated fellow Indian Isharani Baruah 22-20, 21-12 to continue her progress in the competition. She entered the tournament looking to claim her first BWF World Tour title since winning the Syed Modi International in Lucknow in 2024.Although her title challenge ended in Sydney, the semifinal finish adds to what has been a promising resurgence for Sindhu in 2026. With consistent performances and another deep run on the World Tour, the Indian star has continued to show signs of returning to her best form.
