PV Sindhu Vs Akane Yamaguchi, Malaysia Open 2026 QF Highlights: Sindhu Beats World No.3 To Reach Semis - As It Happened

Hello and good morning! Welcome to our live blog of PV Sindhu vs Akane Yamaguchi at the BWF Super 1000 Malaysia Open 2026. Stay tuned for all the latest updates.

The QF clash between PV Sindhu and Japan's Akane Yamaguchi is set to start from 7:15-20AM (IST) onwards.

And the action is underway at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur. It will be a good contest to watch. With no other Indian at the tournament, PV Sindhu will be looking to make the most out of this opportunity.

PV Sindhu is off to a flying start here as she finds herself leading in the initial minutes of Game 1. The score is currently 11-5 in favour of the Hyderabad-born shuttler.

This match might end faster than we expect as PV Sindhu ran away with the lead in Game 1. She showcased her brilliance to see off the World No. 3 by 21-11.

She had claimed victory in the pre-quarterfinals in similar fashion, beating Tomoka Miyazaki 21-8, 21-13 within just half an hour of play.

And that's it. PV Sindhu's Japanese opponent Akane Yamaguchi has withdrawn/retired herself from the match due to a sudden injury.

There seems to be something wrong with her knee as she appeared to be clutching before informing the chair umpire about her decision.

In the other subsequent quarter-finals, Chinese shuttler Chen Yufei defeated Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon in straight games by 21-13 and 21-14 while World No.1 An Se Young took only 34 minutes to see off Denmark's Line Kjaersfeldt by 21-8 and 21-9.