Japan Open 2026: PV Sindhu advances to semi-finals without a quarter-final match

India's PV Sindhu secured a place in the Japan Open 2026 women's singles semi-finals under unusual circumstances after her scheduled quarter-final opponent Nozomi Okuhara withdrew from the tournament. The two-time Olympic medallist progressed without taking the court, keeping her title hopes alive as she continues her impressive run in Tokyo.

Sindhu is now the only Indian player left in contention at the BWF World Tour Super 750 event and will next face one of the toughest tests of her campaign in the last four.

Also Read: Japan Open: PV Sindhu shocks world no.5 in straight games to storm into quarterfinals

Nozomi Okuhara's withdrawal sends PV Sindhu into the semi-finals

The quarter-final clash at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium was called off before a single shuttle was played after home favourite and former world champion Nozomi Okuhara pulled out of the contest.

Okuhara, currently ranked world No. 11, had reached the quarter-finals after top seed An Se-young of South Korea withdrew from their Round of 16 encounter.

As a result, PV Sindhu received a walkover into the semi-finals, extending her campaign without having to contest the last-eight match. Before the withdrawal, the Indian had already produced one of her best performances of the season by defeating world No. 5 Han Yue of China to reach the quarter-finals.

Chen Yufei awaits Sindhu in blockbuster semi-final

Sindhu will now take on world No. 4 Chen Yufei of China for a place in the Japan Open final. The head-to-head record favours the Tokyo Olympic gold medallist 8-6, with Sindhu currently on a four-match losing streak against the Chinese star. The Indian's last victory over Chen came at the 2019 BWF World Championships, where she went on to claim the world title.

Chen Yufei has also been among the most consistent players on the BWF World Tour this season, reaching at least the semi-finals in all nine tournaments she has played in 2026 while also lifting the Indonesia Masters title earlier this year.

For Sindhu, this marks her third semi-final appearance on the BWF World Tour in 2026 after the Malaysia Open and Australia Open. However, the former world champion is still chasing her first final of the season, with her last World Tour title coming at the 2024 Syed Modi International.

PV Sindhu also remains India's lone representative at the Japan Open after Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, and the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto exited the tournament earlier.