Daijiworld Media Network - Tokyo

Tokyo, Jul 18: PV Sindhu became the first Indian shuttler to reach the women's singles final of the Japan Open after reigning Olympic champion Chen Yufei retired with a hamstring injury during their semi-final on Saturday.

The two-time Olympic medallist had already won the opening game 21-19 and was leading 15-10 in the second when the Chinese star was forced to withdraw, handing Sindhu a place in the title clash.

The victory was particularly significant as it ended Sindhu's five-match losing streak against Chen and marked her first win over the Chinese player since the 2019 BWF World Championships.

Sindhu has enjoyed an impressive campaign in Tokyo, opening her tournament with a string of commanding victories, including a notable win over World No. 5 Han Yue. She then advanced to the semi-finals after receiving a walkover from former world champion Nozomi Okuhara.

The final marks Sindhu's return to a BWF Tour title match after more than two years. Her previous final appearance came at the Syed Modi International in 2024, which she won, while her last major BWF World Tour title was the Singapore Open Super 500 in 2022.

"I'm very happy that I've gone to the final," Sindhu said after the match.

She added that staying focused throughout the tournament had been the key to her success.

"For me every match mattered a lot from the first match, especially today's match. It was important from the beginning to be focused because when you play with the top-ranked players it's important that every point matters, so winning that first game really mattered a lot," she said.

Sindhu will take on home favourite and former world champion Akane Yamaguchi in Sunday's final as she bids to win her maiden Japan Open title and continue her resurgence on the BWF World Tour.