Daijiworld Media Network - Sydney

Sydney, Jun 12: India’s star shuttler PV Sindhu advanced to the semifinals of the Australian Open with a commanding straight-games victory over Chinese Taipei’s Chen Su Yu at the Quaycentre in Sydney on Friday.

The third seed needed just 27 minutes to wrap up the contest, cruising to a 21-6, 21-9 win after dominating proceedings from the outset. The victory secured Sindhu’s second semifinal appearance of the 2026 season, following her last-four finish at the Malaysia Open earlier this year.

Sindhu now faces a stern challenge against tournament favourite and three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan. The upcoming clash will mark the 29th meeting between the two badminton stars. While Sindhu leads their overall head-to-head record 15-13, Yamaguchi has enjoyed the upper hand recently, winning four of their last five encounters.

The semifinal berth comes as a welcome boost for Sindhu, who has endured an inconsistent campaign despite flashes of brilliance on the BWF World Tour this season.

Meanwhile, India’s teenage sensation Tanvi Sharma saw her impressive run come to an end in the quarterfinals. The youngster was outplayed by Yamaguchi, who delivered a clinical performance to register a 21-14, 21-14 victory in just 32 minutes.

Although Tanvi bowed out of the tournament, her campaign was filled with encouraging performances and notable upsets, further strengthening her reputation as one of India's most promising badminton talents.

In men's doubles, the Indian duo of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun were forced to retire midway through their quarterfinal match against a pair from Chinese Taipei after falling behind in the contest.

Earlier in the tournament, Sindhu had overcome compatriot Isharani Baruah 22-20, 21-12 to reach the quarterfinals, while Tanvi defeated Malvika Bansod 21-12, 21-15. Hariharan and Arjun also progressed to the last eight with a straight-games win over Australia's Michael Owen and Dylan Soedjasa.

With Sindhu carrying India's hopes into the semifinals, all eyes will now be on her highly anticipated clash against Yamaguchi as she seeks a place in the Australian Open final.