PV Sindhu Advances to Semifinals at Malaysia Open 2026 After Yamaguchi's Retirement

Indian badminton player PV Sindhu has advanced to the semifinals of the Malaysia Open 2026 after her opponent Akane Yamaguchi retired due to injury. This follows Sindhu's earlier victory over Tomoka Miyazaki. Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen was eliminated from the tournament after a tough match against Lee Cheuk Yiu. The focus now shifts to the men's doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty as they prepare for their quarterfinal match. Read on for more details about these exciting matches.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jan 9, 2026, 11:26 IST

Sindhu Secures Semifinal Spot

In Kuala Lumpur, Indian badminton star PV Sindhu has successfully reached the semifinals of the Malaysia Open 2026. This achievement came after Japan's third seed Akane Yamaguchi had to retire due to injury following a loss in the first game, which ended 21-11 in favor of Sindhu. This victory follows Sindhu's impressive performance against eighth seed Tomoka Miyazaki, as reported by a sports media outlet.

With Yamaguchi's exit, Sindhu is set to compete against the winner of the match between China's Wang Zhiyi and Indonesia's PK Wardani, who are scheduled to play later today.

Ranked 18th globally, Sindhu had previously defeated world No. 33 Sung Shuo-yun from Chinese Taipei with scores of 21-13 and 22-20, securing her place in the quarterfinals of this prestigious BWF Super 1000 event.

While Sindhu celebrated her advancement, fellow Indian player Lakshya Sen faced disappointment, exiting the tournament after a loss to Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu in the pre-quarterfinals at the Axiata Arena. Sen, ranked 13th, lost in a closely contested match with scores of 22-20 and 21-15, lasting 53 minutes, according to Olympic sources.

Despite a strong start, leading 11-9 at the break and having four game points in the first game, Sen could not maintain his lead as Lee Cheuk Yiu rallied to win the opener in a tie-break. Sen's defeat marks his third loss in five encounters against Lee.

Attention now turns to India's men's doubles team, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who are set to compete against Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in the quarterfinals.