PV Sindhu beat Hina Akechi of Japan in the semifinals to reach her first-ever French Open final on October 24, 2026. Photo: Badminton Photo/BWF
\n\nPV Sindhu has every major honour of world badminton in her trophy cabinet, but a win against An Se Young remains elusive.
\n\nOn Saturday, the former world champion, World Tour Finals winner and two-time Olympic medallist overcame a stiff challenge from Japanese shuttler Hina Akechi to storm into her first-ever French Open women's singles final. She will face her arch-nemesis Young in Sunday's final, with a chance to finally erase one of the few blemishes on her otherwise illustrious career.
\n\nSindhu defeated World No. 22 Akechi 21-10, 20-22, 21-16 in a gruelling 73-minute clash to book her place in the final.
\n\nAfter comfortably winning the opening game, Sindhu faced a neck-and-neck battle in the second as Akechi made every effort to keep the Indian at bay. Sindhu, however, looked determined to register her third consecutive straight-game win at the tournament.
\n\nAkechi, who reached the semifinals after stunning Wang Zhi Yi and Putri Kusuma Wardani in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals, put up a valiant display and capitalised on her opportunities to take the second game.
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports
