Hylo Open 2026: Sindhu defeats Kharb in straight games, to face Kjaersfeldt in final

PV Sindhu’s pace and reach pinned Anmol Kharb back, blunting the forecourt movement and low net play. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

P.V. Sindhu used her reach and heavy clears to pull Anmol Kharb out of position and won the Hylo Open 2026 semifinal 21-13, 21-16 in Saarbrücken, setting up a final against top seed Pornpawee Chochuwong from Thailand.

Anmol Kharb led P. V. Sindhu 6-5 in the early stages of first game of the women’s singles semifinal in Saarbrucken.

Sindhu led Anmol Kharb 11-9 in the first game of the Hylo Open 2026 semifinal in Saarbrucken, after the lead had changed hands early on.

She built her points around long, high-looping baseline clears, using her reach to send Kharb back with heavy clears and steep cross-court lifts.

Kharb’s low defensive posture and court coverage turned tight net exchanges into quick counter-attacks, but Sindhu’s steep angles and heavy clears kept her from stepping up to intercept as freely.

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Sindhu pulled clear to 14-10 in the first game against Anmol Kharb, and her heavy clears kept pushing Kharb off her depth, so her lifts dropped short into Sindhu’s attacking zone. In the flat mid-court exchanges, Sindhu’s extra reach let her set the pace and force errors.

Kharb’s route back, per the tactical notes, lay in soft, tumbling net drops early in the rally and tighter cross-court net blocks against the heavy smashes, rather than raising mid-court lifts that handed Sindhu easy put aways.

Kharb tried to create openings with agile forecourt movement and low net play, but was pinned back by Sindhu’s heavy pace and reach, and struggled to match her depth or hold her own in the fast flat exchanges

Sindhu closed out the first game 21-13, taking command in the latter phase by leaning on her reach and powerful, deep clears that kept pushing Kharb onto her heels.

Kharb fought hard with crafty forecourt touches and varied drops, but she struggled to match Sindhu’s depth and kept gifting short lifts, which Sindhu punished with heavy smashes, while Sindhu’s reach shut down the angles in the fast flat exchanges.

The second game was level at 6-6 with Sindhu leaning on her experience to set the pace through strong overhead clears and sharp cross-court drops.

Anmol Kharb stayed in the contest with quick retrievals and aggressive mid-court drives, and unforced errors crept in for both players in the fast net exchanges, including a few loose lifts from Kharb that Sindhu punished with decisive smashes down the line.

Kharb kept probing with her touch at the net, but Sindhu’s power from the baseline never let her settle, and a 21-16 second game sent the No. 2 seed into the final.

Published on Oct 31, 2026

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