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kuala lumpur, 9 January. Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu advanced to the semi-finals of the Malaysia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament after Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi retired from the quarterfinals due to injury on Friday. But in men’s doubles, world number three pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost the quarterfinals.

30-year-old Sindhu, ranked 18th in the world, had won the first game 21-11, but after this three-time world champion and third seed Yamaguchi decided to withdraw from the match. She was wearing a knee brace.

Sindhu will now meet second seed Wang Xi Yi

With this, former world champion Sindhu, who was playing her first tournament after being out for a long time due to injury, increased her winning record against Yamaguchi to 15-12. Now in the semi-finals, she will face second seed Wang Xi Yi of China, who defeated sixth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia 21-17, 21-18.

Chirag-Satwik lost to lower ranked team of Indonesia

Two-time World Championship bronze medalists Satwik and Chirag lost 10-21, 21-23 to the lower-ranked Indonesian pair of Fajar Alphen and Muhammad Fikri in men’s doubles.

Third seeded Satwik and Chirag, who reached the finals in Hong Kong Open and China Masters last year, were seen under pressure in the first game itself. The Indonesian pair scored five consecutive points after which the Indian pair opened the account. The Indonesian team soon took a 12–4 lead and then took the last five points to win the first game. In the second game, the Indian pair tried to make a comeback and even took the lead twice. The score was tied at 19-19 at one point, but the Indonesian pair won by taking the last two points.