It was one of those weeks where you have to make your point, and on Friday, Sindhu did just that by running through Chinese Taipei’s Chen Su Yu to book her spot in the Super 500 semis. The third seed made it look easy, wrapping up a 21-6, 21-9 in a little over half an hour. Not bad for what is only her second time in the last four in as many as eight BWF events this year.
But the how was as important as the scoreline. She made sure there was no mistaking who was in charge, putting some space between her and the rest of the pack. With the title in sight after two more victories, she’s back in the hunt for a first of the year.
A statement win that resets the season
More than just moving on, this was a fresh start. You had to be after the tussle with Isharani Baruah earlier in the week. But against Chen, there was no let-up; she wound everything in her game up tight. That 42-minute, 22-20, 21-12 pre-quarterfinal wasn’t a red flag so much as a springboard.
The ex-world number one set the tone right from the get-go. She didn’t let the Taiwanese find any kind of flow, nipped rallies in the bud and went on the offensive when needed. There was a new edge to it, a first-strike style of badminton that comes from being sharp on the court.
How Sindhu took control
The first game said it all. At 21-6, she was in a league of her own, making Chen work for every inch and racking up unforced errors. It was the sort of unrelenting pressure that saps an opponent’s will and makes for simple scoring.
She didn’t let up for a moment in the break. A bit of power here, some exact placement there, and she had the shuttle low and out of trouble to put the second 21-9 to bed. The difference in tempo was plain to see – a true frontrunner doesn’t leave any room for doubt.
Numbers that underline the shift
The figures from Sydney don’t lie:
– 31 minutes to put away a 21-6, 21-9 in the quarters
– Second semi in 2026 out of eight BWFs
– The pre-quarters with Baruah: 22-20, 21-12 (42 min)
– Two to go for the trophy
Put the first one in the bag like that and you know what’s coming. Friday was no different, and you could see the self-assurance that has been in short supply at times this year return in force.
The ripple effect for India
Then you have 17-year-old Tanvi Sharma adding some colour to the week. She’s in the quarter-finals after seeing off Malvika Bansod 21-13, 21-15. It’s part of a run that also saw her pull off a shock over the fifth-seeded Chiu Pin-Chian from Chinese Taipei last time out.
Now she has to deal with Japan’s top seed, Akane Yamaguchi. No small order. But with Tanvi on the up and Sindhu back in gear, you can see a new kind of depth in the Indian women’s side, a mix of old hands and some very bold young ones.
What comes next
Sindhu is in position to do some damage. What we saw from her against Chen was a lot more direct and assertive than of late, and that’s good timing as the year gets to its crux.
For an Olympic medallist wanting to be more of a factor, this is the way to do it. If she keeps up this forward momentum, the road to the top might be a straighter line than the bracket has it. The Australian Open has woken up and put the rest of the field on alert.
