PV Sindhu reaches Japan Open semis as Okuhara withdraws
Synopsis
Sindhu is two wins away from her first Super 750 title in nearly three years — but standing between her and the final is Chen Yufei, the Tokyo Olympic champion she has not beaten in five straight meetings. After Okuhara's withdrawal handed her the semifinal spot, the real test arrives Saturday in Tokyo.
Key Takeaways
PV Sindhu reached the Japan Open 2025 semifinals on 17 July after Nozomi Okuhara withdrew from their quarterfinal.
This is Sindhu's third semifinal of the season and her first Super 750 semifinal since the 2023 Denmark Open .
Sindhu faces world No.
4 Chen Yufei next, trailing 6-8 in head-to-head and having lost their last five meetings .
A final berth would be Sindhu's first Super 750 final in nearly three years .
All other Indian challengers — including Rankireddy-Shetty , Kapila-Crasto , and Unnati Hooda — have exited the tournament.
PV Sindhu advanced to the semifinals of the Japan Open 2025 in Tokyo on Friday, 17 July, after Japanese shuttler Nozomi Okuhara withdrew from their quarterfinal clash. The result makes Sindhu the sole remaining Indian challenger in the BWF Super 750 tournament.
A Season-Defining Run
This is Sindhu's third semifinal of the season, following deep runs at the Malaysian Super 1000 and the Australia Super 500. Notably, it is also her first Super 750 semifinal since the 2023 Denmark Open — a milestone that underlines her renewed consistency at the highest level of the circuit.
The 31-year-old two-time Olympic medallist had earlier dispatched world No. 5 Han Yue of China 21-16, 21-14 in just 35 minutes to reach the quarterfinals — a performance that signalled her intent heading into the business end of the draw.
The Semifinal Challenge: Chen Yufei
Sindhu will next face Tokyo Olympic champion and world No. 4 Chen Yufei of China, against whom she trails 6-8 in the head-to-head. Sindhu has lost her last five consecutive meetings with Yufei, making Saturday's clash a significant personal hurdle.
A victory would not only snap that losing streak but also secure Sindhu's first Super 750 final in nearly three years — and keep alive her bid for a maiden title of the 2025 season.
Yufei, 28, arrives in strong form: she won the Indonesia Masters this year and reached the finals of the Super 500 events in Thailand and Malaysia. She has also been a consistent semifinalist at the Singapore and India Super 750s, as well as the Malaysia Open and All England Super 1000s.
India's Broader Campaign Falters
The rest of India's challenge at the Japan Open has unravelled. Mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto fell 20-22, 17-21 to China's Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping in the pre-quarterfinals.
In women's singles, Unnati Hooda was eliminated by Chinese Taipei's Huang Yu-Hsun despite winning the second game. India's men's doubles contingent had already exited on Tuesday — Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, and the pair of MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan, both bowed out in the opening round, with Rankireddy-Shetty also reportedly sustaining an injury.
What's Next
With Sindhu carrying India's flag into the last four, the semifinal against Chen Yufei shapes up as one of the most consequential matches of her 2025 campaign. A final berth would mark her deepest run in a Super 750 event in nearly three years and could reset the momentum heading into the second half of the BWF World Tour calendar.
Point of View
But it should not obscure the real story: she is the last Indian standing at a Super 750 event and is now one win away from ending a near-three-year drought at this level. The Yufei matchup is the true measure — five straight losses to the same opponent is a pattern, not a coincidence, and Sindhu will need to solve it tactically, not just physically. The broader India camp's early exits, including Rankireddy-Shetty's injury, add pressure on Sindhu to deliver a result that keeps Indian badminton's second-half season narrative alive.
NationPress
17 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did PV Sindhu reach the Japan Open 2025 semifinals?
Sindhu advanced to the semifinals on 17 July after her Japanese opponent Nozomi Okuhara withdrew from their quarterfinal match in Tokyo. She had earlier beaten world No. 5 Han Yue of China 21-16, 21-14 in the quarterfinals.
Who does PV Sindhu face in the Japan Open semifinal?
Sindhu faces Tokyo Olympic champion and world No. 4 Chen Yufei of China in the semifinal. She trails Yufei 6-8 in head-to-head and has lost their last five consecutive meetings.
What is the significance of Sindhu's Japan Open semifinal run?
It is Sindhu's first Super 750 semifinal since the 2023 Denmark Open and her third semifinal of the 2025 season. A win would put her in her first Super 750 final in nearly three years.
How did other Indian players fare at the Japan Open 2025?
India's other challengers all exited before the semifinals. Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto lost in the mixed doubles pre-quarterfinals, Unnati Hooda was knocked out in women's singles, and both men's doubles pairs — Rankireddy-Shetty and Arjun-Amsakarunan — fell in the opening round on Tuesday.
What is Chen Yufei's form heading into the Japan Open semifinal?
Chen Yufei, 28, has been in strong form in 2025, winning the Indonesia Masters and reaching the finals of the Super 500 events in Thailand and Malaysia. She has also been a regular semifinalist at multiple Super 750 and Super 1000 events this season.
