Sindhu Falls to Yamaguchi Again, Crashes Out of Australia Open in Straight-Game Semifinal Defeat

Third seed PV Sindhu lost the Australia Badminton Open semifinal to Japan's Akane Yamaguchi 20-22, 12-21, extending her long wait for another BWF title.

The door to another major final has shut on India's two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu. On Saturday, she went down in straight games to Japan's Akane Yamaguchi in the women's singles semifinal of the Australia Badminton Open. The contest lasted 43 minutes and ended 20-22, 12-21, leaving her wait for a BWF Tour title unfulfilled once more.

A Tight Opener That Slipped Away
Seeded third at the tournament, Sindhu refused to back down in the first game. She answered Yamaguchi stroke for stroke and kept the game on a knife's edge, with both players at one point reeling off six straight points each. Sindhu even held a game point but could not convert it into the point that mattered. Yamaguchi, by contrast, stayed composed and pocketed the opening game 22-20.

One-Way Traffic in the Second
Losing the first game took its toll. In the second, Yamaguchi rattled off eight points in a row to surge to a commanding 13-6 lead, then never loosened her grip, closing it out 21-12 with ease. Sindhu's exit also brought India's campaign at the tournament to an end.

A Thai Test Awaits in the Final
Yamaguchi now moves into the title clash, where she will take on Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong for the women's singles crown.

The Head-to-Head Picture
Sindhu's recent slide against Yamaguchi continued here. While she still leads their career rivalry 15-13, she has now lost five of their last six meetings — a worrying trend heading forward.

A Title Drought Since 2024
Sindhu's most recent BWF Tour title came at the Syed Modi International in December 2024, and she has not lifted a trophy since. This was her second semifinal of the season; earlier she had reached the last four at the Malaysia Open, where China's Wang Zhiyi halted her run. She has also made three quarterfinals during the current season.

What this means for you
What this means for badminton fans:

• With no title since December 2024, Sindhu's fans will have to wait longer for her next trophy.
• Having lost five of the last six against Yamaguchi, this rivalry is shaping up to be the match Indian viewers will watch most closely at upcoming events.

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