19 July,2026 05:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
PV Sindhu. Pic/AFP
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu rediscovered her vintage best to win her maiden Japan Open title, defeating home favourite and world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 in the women's singles final.
The historic victory secured Sindhu's first-ever Super 750 championship, bringing an end to a title drought lasting over two years. With this win, she etches her name in the record books as the first Indian badminton player to conquer the prestigious Japan Open, marking her most significant tournament victory since her gold-medal run at the 2019 BWF World Championships.
Going up against a three-time world champion backed by a passionate home crowd, the world No. 12 delivered an incredible performance.
The Indian ace started with intent, quickly establishing a 3-0 advantage before the Japanese star rallied to even the score. The first game turned into a seesaw battle as the two traded blows, allowing Yamaguchi to take a marginal lead into the mid-game break.
However, the momentum shifted decisively in the Indian's favor after the interval. She carved out a 16-12 lead before taking the opening game.
Maintaining her rhythm in the second game, the Indian shuttler completely dominated the front of the court. She consistently pushed her opponent into hitting desperate, high defensive lifts, which she repeatedly punished with her signature steep, powerful smashes.
The home favourite mounted one last desperate counter-offensive, narrowing the scoreline to 14-12 and eventually clawing back to 19-17. Yet, the Indian refused to let the pressure break her form and won the match in straight games.
This victory holds immense psychological weight for the Indian star, who had not beaten the world No. 3 in a fully completed match in four years.
Facing a rival who was appearing in her sixth career Japan Open final, the Indian produced a vintage masterclass that blended her trademark aggression with on-court composure. The spectacular run in Tokyo serves notice to the rest of the field as the tour moves into the major international championships later this year.
PV Sindhu was India's only hope in the tournament after the early exit of Lakshya Sen.
(With inputs from ANI)
