[Saba Sports News] The semi-finals of all events at the 2026 BWF World Tour Japan Open were held in Tokyo recently. In the opening women’s singles semi-final, Chen Yufei retired midway through the second set due to physical discomfort against India’s veteran Pusarla Venkata Sindhu, handing her opponent a spot in the final. Chen Yufei and Sindhu have been regular rivals spanning the Tokyo, Paris and upcoming Los Angeles Olympic cycles, witnessing each other’s career peaks along the way. Sindhu claimed the World Championships title in 2019, while Chen Yufei took home the women’s singles gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Since Chen Yufei lost to Sindhu in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Championships, she has held the upper hand in their head-to-head duels, racking up five consecutive wins. This marked their 15th career meeting. The opening set was fiercely contested, with Sindhu playing more aggressively on crucial points to seal a 21-19 victory. Chen Yufei remained on the back foot in the second set, struggling with movement around the court, and opted to withdraw injured when trailing 10-15. After the match, Chen Yufei explained her retirement was caused by a leg strain. “I felt discomfort in my leg during yesterday’s match. I received extensive massage and acupuncture after play to ease the soreness, but today Sindhu’s explosive attacking put immense strain on my leg. I spent the whole first set defending nonstop, and by the second set, I could no longer control my leg properly.”
The editor believes that the women’s singles top half of the draw has been plagued by multiple retirements at this tournament. An Se-young pulled out, allowing Okuhara Nozomi to advance. Later, Okuhara Nozomi also retired, handing Sindhu a free pass to the next round. Now Chen Yufei has retired mid-match, sending Sindhu through once again.