Badminton: Sindhu, Lakshya in Hylo Open final

Indian badminton is on the cusp of a possible Sunday sweep in Europe as its two premier singles players, PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen, delivered exceptional performances to storm into the final of the $500,000 Hylo Open in Saarbrucken, Germany.

Both booked their summit clashes in style on Saturday, registering straight-game victories. While Sindhu extended her phenomenal back-to-back finals streak after last week’s campaign in France, Lakshya scripted a much-needed resurgence to revive his season after a challenging phase.

Double Olympic medallist Sindhu is fast rediscovering her commanding form. Fresh off a runner-up finish at the French Open a week ago, the 31-year-old made light work of compatriot Anmol Kharb, sealing a 21-13, 21-16 victory in 38 minutes.

Anmol, 19, making only her second Super 500 last-four appearance since her impressive run at the Arctic Open, brought youthful energy and fighting spirit to the Super 500 tournament.

However, experience, tactical maturity and a superior repertoire of strokes won the day for the former world champion. Following their only meeting at the 2024 Syed Modi India International, Sindhu again demonstrated why she remains a towering benchmark on the global circuit.

Although Anmol tried to trouble her illustrious senior with clever cross-court drop shots and deep tosses — she grabbed early 4-2 leads in both games — Sindhu’s defensive resilience and precise net control quickly dismantled any upset bid.

Sindhu controlled the tempo, never looking troubled as she closed out the opening game. The second game followed a similar script. Despite Anmol levelling proceedings mid-way through, Sindhu’s accuracy and patience drew errors from her young compatriot.

Having safely navigated the semi-final hurdle, second seed Sindhu now locks horns with Denmark's eighth seed, Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt, as she chases her first title of the extended European tour and second of the season after winning the Japan Open in July.

In men's singles, Lakshya, 25, delivered a performance that will reignite his confidence. Having weathered a rough patch since his brilliant run to the All England Open final in March, the Almora-born shuttler played with renewed hunger, dismantling France’s Toma Junior Popov 21-17, 21-13 in 41 minutes.

The opening game presented a tactical puzzle. Popov started brightly, testing Lakshya with sharp flat exchanges and varied angles to keep the score level at 4-4. Yet, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist kept his composure, matching the Frenchman stroke for stroke before turning up the heat.

A flurry of unforced errors from Popov, combined with Lakshya's trademark defensive recovery and explosive down-the-line smashes, allowed the Indian to pull away with a five-point cushion at the interval.

Carrying that momentum into the second game, Lakshya suffocated world No.14 Popov. A barrage of smashes and relentless court dominance stretched his lead to 14-7, effectively breaking the Frenchman's resistance.

Though Popov fought valiantly to narrow the deficit, Lakshya maintained discipline, sealing the match with a pinpoint smash, converting his second match point.

Lakshya will square off against the winner of the semi-final between Indonesia's fourth seed Jonatan Christie and top-seeded Danish star Anders Antonsen.

For Sindhu, it is a golden opportunity to convert a deep run into championship gold after last week's near-miss in Paris. For Lakshya, clinching the Hylo Open crown would provide the definitive turning point to a season of rebuilding, reminding the global circuit of his quality.