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Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and rising Indian shuttler Anmol Kharb set up an all-Indian womens singles semi-final at the Hylo Open 2026 in Germany on Friday.
Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen stormed into the mens singles semi-finals of the BWF Super 500 tournament, rallying from a game down to defeat Finlands Kalle Koljonen at the Saarlandhalle, as per Olympics.com. Second seed PV Sindhu cruised into the womens singles semi-finals with a dominant 21-12, 21-10 victory over Denmarks Amalie Schulz in just 28 minutes. Sindhu dictated the pace from the outset, never allowing her opponent to take the lead in either game as she maintained control throughout to seal a comfortable straight-games win. The victory marked Sindhus second win over Schulz in as many meetings. The two had previously met in the round of 16 at the Thailand Open earlier this year, where the Indian had also secured a straight-games victory. Meanwhile, Anmol Kharb edged past sixth seed Unnati Hooda 21-17, 18-21, 21-16 in a hard-fought 68-minute quarter-final clash between two of Indias promising young shuttlers. The encounter marked the first meeting between the two 19-year-olds on the BWF World Tour. The opening game saw a closely fought contest, with the scores tied at 6-6 before Anmol stepped up her game to take it 21-17. Unnati bounced back in the second game, building a 15-11 lead. Although Anmol fought her way back to level the scores at 18-18, Unnati held her nerve to win the next three points and force a decider. Unnati carried her momentum into the third game, racing to a 6-3 lead. However, Anmol gradually fought her way back and narrowed the gap to 12-11 before shifting gears decisively. The 19-year-old Indian then unleashed a stunning run of eight successive points to open up a commanding 19-12 lead. Unnati attempted a late fightback, but Anmol held firm to seal the game 21-16 and book her place in the semi-finals. In mens singles, seventh seed Lakshya Sen staged a comeback from a game down to defeat Finlands Kalle Koljonen 14-21, 21-17, 21-13 in a one-hour-and-six-minute encounter. The opening game remained closely contested until 6-6, after which Koljonen took charge in the closing stages to gain the early advantage. Lakshya bounced back in the second game, establishing a slender lead early on. Despite the Finn staying within striking distance, the Indian maintained his advantage throughout to level the match. The decider was evenly poised in the initial exchanges, with the scores tied at 4-4. Lakshya then shifted gears, stringing together four consecutive points to take control of the game. He carried the momentum forward and comfortably maintained his lead to seal the victory. The semi-final appearance marks Lakshyas first individual BWF World Tour last-four finish since his runner-up showing at the All England Open in March. (ANI)
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