PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen storm into final as India brace for Super Sunday

PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen stormed into the Hylo Open 2026 finals with straight-game victories in their respective women's and men's singles semifinals.PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen have reached the Hylo Open final. Courtesy: PTINew Delhi,Oct 31, 2026 22:58 ISTIndia are set for a Super Sunday at the Hylo Open 2026 after PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen stormed into the women's and men's singles finals of the USD 500,000 BWF Super 500 tournament with impressive straight-game victories in Saarbrucken, Germany, on Saturday.Double Olympic medallist Sindhu continued her impressive run of form, getting the better of compatriot Anmol Kharb 21-13, 21-16 in an all-Indian semifinal. The victory marked Sindhu's second consecutive final appearance, having finished runner-up at the French Open last week.Lakshya, meanwhile, produced one of his most convincing performances in recent months, outclassing France's Toma Junior Popov 21-17, 21-13 to book his place in the men's singles final.Also Read: Racket Science: Inside An Se Young's extraordinary badminton dominance With both Indians now one victory away from lifting the title, the country has a chance to celebrate a memorable double triumph in Germany. Sindhu will face Denmark's eighth seed Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt in the women's singles final, while Lakshya will meet either Indonesia's Jonatan Christie or Denmark's top seed Anders Antonsen.SINDHU’S EXPERIENCE TOO MUCH FOR ANMOLSindhu once again demonstrated why she remains one of India's most dependable performers on the international circuit. The 31-year-old combined her attacking prowess with precise net play and an impressive range of strokes to keep the 19-year-old Anmol from settling into a rhythm. Anmol, who was appearing in only her second Super 500 semifinal, made a promising start and briefly moved 4-2 ahead in the opening game. However, Sindhu quickly found her rhythm, using her attacking shots to take control of the exchanges. Despite a few errors while judging Anmol's deep returns, the former world champion moved ahead and took an 11-9 lead at the interval.Sindhu stepped up after the break, stretching her advantage to 15-10 before comfortably closing out the opening game 21-13.The second game offered a sterner challenge. Anmol once again started aggressively, taking an early 4-2 lead before the two players traded points. A fine net dribble helped the youngster move ahead, and she even managed to take a 9-8 lead after Sindhu found the net.Anmol continued to fight and, after the scores were level at 13-13, produced two impressive smashes to move 15-13 ahead. However, Sindhu responded immediately, capitalising on errors from her younger opponent to restore parity at 15-15. The experienced Indian then took control, moving ahead 17-15 before sealing the contest 21-16.LAKSHYA REDISCOVERS HIS WINNING TOUCHLakshya, meanwhile, delivered a commanding performance against world No. 13 Popov to reach his second final of the season, following his runner-up finish at the All England Open in March.The Indian had endured a challenging campaign in Saarbrucken, needing three-game victories against Joakim Oldorff, Kiran George and Kalle Koljonen to reach the semifinals. Against Popov, however, he looked far more assured and controlled proceedings with his defensive resilience and attacking strokes.The opening game was closely contested initially, with both players exchanging points. Lakshya gradually took control, moving 10-6 ahead after capitalising on a series of unforced errors from the Frenchman. His defence and ability to turn rallies around frustrated Popov, although the Frenchman briefly fought back to narrow the deficit to 15-17.Lakshya held his nerve in the closing exchanges, earning four game points before sealing the opener 21-17 with a net winner.The Indian carried that momentum into the second game, racing to a 4-1 lead. Popov briefly fought back to level the scores at 4-4, but Lakshya responded with a series of powerful smashes to regain control. He entered the interval with a four-point advantage and showed no signs of slowing down.Lakshya subsequently stretched his lead to 14-7, keeping Popov under constant pressure with his attacking play and solid court coverage. The Indian eventually earned nine match points and, after squandering two, sealed a convincing 21-13 victory with a precise smash.For Lakshya, the win was particularly significant as he looks to turn around his season after the disappointment of missing out on the All England title. The former Hylo Open champion, who lifted the trophy in 2019, now has another opportunity to add to his silverware.- Ends