Sydney: Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu's wait for a BWF title continues as she bowed out in the semifinals of the Australian Badminton Open after a straight-game defeat to top seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, here on Saturday.
The former world No 1, who got a third seed here, put up a spirited fight in the opening game and even held a game point before going down 20-22, 12-21 to the world No. 3 Japanese in a 43-minute contest.
With Sindhu's exit, India's campaign in the tournament also came to an end in the BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament.
Sindhu matched Yamaguchi shot for shot in a closely-fought first game. Both players enjoyed runs of six consecutive points each, but the Sindhu failed to convert her game point as Yamaguchi held her nerve to take the opener.
The momentum shifted decisively in the second game. Yamaguchi raced ahead with an eight-point burst to go 13-6 up and maintained solid control throughout to seal the match without any fuss. Yamaguchi will now take on Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong in the women's singles title clash.
A BWF Tour title has remained elusive for Sindhu since her triumph at the Syed Modi International in December 2024.
This was Sindhu's second semifinal finish of the season. Earlier this year, she had reached the last four at the Malaysia Open before losing to China's Wang Zhiyi. She has also made three quarterfinal appearances this season.