PV Sindhu reaches Japan Open Super 750 semis after walkover

Two-time Olympic medalist P.V. Sindhu advanced to the semifinals of the Japan Open Super 750 in Tokyo on Friday after her scheduled quarterfinal opponent, Japanese former world champion Nozomi Okuhara, withdrew before the match. The walkover sends Sindhu into the last four of a Super 750 event for the first time since the 2023 Denmark Open.

The 31-year-old Indian, who won the world championship in 2019, earned her place in the quarterfinals by defeating world No. 5 Han Yue of China in straight games on Thursday. Sindhu needed just 35 minutes to secure a 21-16, 21-14 victory over the higher-ranked Chinese shuttler at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, recovering from a slow start to take control of the rallies midway through the opening game. That win marked Sindhu’s sixth quarterfinal appearance of the season, following runs to the last eight in Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore, as well as semifinal finishes in Malaysia and Australia.

Okuhara, who had herself benefited from a withdrawal in the previous round when top seed An Seyoung of South Korea pulled out with a left foot injury, was unable to take the court for the quarterfinal. The result extends Sindhu’s resurgence in...