By Khabar Rojana 
PV Sindhu entered the semifinals of the Super 1000 Malaysia Open after world champion Akane Yamaguchi retired injured following the first game on Friday. The Japanese shuttler, visibly struggling with movement due to a knee issue, conceded after losing the opening set 21-11.
Sindhu carried forward her aggressive momentum from her dominant win over Tomoka Miyazaki and immediately put Yamaguchi under pressure with sharp smashes, steep drops and quick court coverage. Yamaguchi, who arrived wearing a knee brace, appeared uncomfortable from the start and struggled to defend Sindhu’s attacking rhythm. The Indian raced to a commanding 10-2 lead as her opponent found it difficult to retrieve shots and control rallies.
Despite attempting to slow the pace by keeping Sindhu pinned to the backcourt, Yamaguchi committed a series of unforced errors. After just over 10 minutes of play, Sindhu wrapped up the first game convincingly. Moments later, Yamaguchi informed the chair umpire that she could not continue, citing discomfort and restricted movement.
The retirement handed Sindhu her first Super 1000 semifinal appearance in three years, marking a significant boost to her season. She will next face either China’s world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi or Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani in the last four.
Earlier in the tournament, Sindhu defeated 19-year-old Miyazaki 21-8, 21-13 in just 33 minutes to reach the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, India’s men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are scheduled to play Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri later today.
Shalu Shalu