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Indian badminton star PV Sindhu is delivering an impressive performance at the 2026 French Open. In the women’s singles semifinal held on October 24, she defeated Japan’s Hina Akechi 2-1 in a three-game encounter, securing her spot in the final of a Super 750 tournament for the second time in 2026. In the title clash, Sindhu will face South Korea’s world number one, An Se-young. Given that Sindhu’s head-to-head record against her has not been favorable, the final match on October 25 is set to be a significant challenge.
Sindhu dominates the first set, but drops the second
PV Sindhu began her semifinal match against Japan’s Hina Akechi in commanding fashion, winning the first set 21-10 to take a 1-0 lead. However, she faced a tough challenge from Akechi in the second set, which she lost 20-22. With the match leveled at 1-1, all eyes turned to the decisive third set.
Strong start in the final set leads to victory for Sindhu
After losing the second set, PV Sindhu made a brilliant start to the third, establishing an early lead against Japan’s Hina Akechi. She went on to win the set 21-16, clinching the match and securing her place in the final. The semifinal contest between Sindhu and Akechi lasted one hour and 13 minutes, featuring a high-quality battle between the two players. In her post-match statement, Sindhu expressed her happiness while also noting that the last year and a half or so had been full of ups and downs. She said, ‘It was a difficult phase for me. In such a situation, it was crucial for me to realize that I needed to go back and start from scratch. We formed a team and sought to understand our physical and mental state—to assess exactly where we stood.’
