Sindhu beats Akechi to reach first French Open final

P. V. Sindhu defeated Japan’s Hina Akechi in three games on Saturday to reach her first French Open women’s singles final. Sindhu won 21-10, 20-22, 21-16 in a 73-minute semifinal and is scheduled to face world No. 1 An Se Young on Sunday, October 25. Sindhu took the opening game, but Akechi fought back to claim the second, forcing a decider. In the third, Sindhu led 14-9 before Akechi won six consecutive points to level the score at 15-15. Sindhu then conceded only one more point, closing out the match 21-16. The final will give Sindhu a chance to win the French Open for the first time. She won the Japan Open in July, her first title above the Super 500 level in four years, and is seeking her second title of the season. Her previous best at the French Open was a semifinal appearance. An Se Young advanced to the final by defeating Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara 21-12, 21-19 in the other semifinal. Sindhu has yet to beat An Se Young in 10 meetings, and lost both of their matches this year in straight games. The French Open final will be their first meeting in a final since the 2021 BWF World Tour Finals. Sindhu’s run is also set to return her to the world’s top seven for the first time...