PV Sindhu has reached the French Open final after beating Japan's Hina Akechi in a three-game semifinal. The Indian shuttler won 21-10, 20-22, 21-16 in a match that lasted one hour and 13 minutes. The win puts her in her second Super 750 final of the year.
How PV Sindhu Won the French Open Semifinal
Sindhu started strongly and took the first game 21-10. She then came close to closing out the match in straight games, but Akechi fought back to take the second game 22-20. Instead of letting the momentum slip, Sindhu recovered in the deciding game and won it 21-16 to deny Akechi a comeback victory.
The match showed both sides of Sindhu's game — control at the start and the ability to reset after losing a tight game she could have won. Losing the second game after being near the finish line is the kind of slip that often decides matches. This time, it did not.
An Se Young Stands Between Sindhu and the Title
The final will be a much harder test. Sindhu now faces South Korea's An Se Young, the world No. 1. Beating the top-ranked player in the world is the biggest challenge on the tour, and a final against her is a different kind of match from a semifinal.
Sindhu has already shown strong form this year. She won the Japan Open Super 750 in July, and reaching another Super 750 final confirms she is competing at the top level of the sport. A win in the French Open final would give her a second title at this level in 2026.
Our Take: A Big Chance, But a Tough One
In our view, this French Open run matters for Sindhu because it shows consistency. Winning one big tournament can be a good week. Reaching finals at the same level again is proof of real form. The semifinal also showed something important — she did not collapse after losing the second game. That kind of recovery is what wins finals.
To put it plainly, the final is a real test. An Se Young is the world No. 1 for a reason, and Sindhu will need her best match of the tournament to beat her. But Sindhu has won big titles before, and she is playing well enough to make this a close contest. For Indian badminton fans, this is a final worth watching closely.
Sources & References
- Original news report on PV Sindhu's French Open semifinal win and final matchup against An Se Young
