Sindhu and Lakshya Sen Storm Into Hylo Open Finals, India Eye Double Crown

New Delhi- Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen moved a step closer to a double title triumph at the Hylo Open Super 500, securing their respective places in the women's and men's singles finals at the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrücken, Germany, on Saturday.

Sindhu continued her impressive run of form, reaching her second consecutive BWF World Tour final with a convincing straight-games victory over compatriot Anmol Kharb. Meanwhile, Lakshya produced a composed performance to overcome France's Toma Junior Popov and book his place in the men's singles title clash.

Fresh from her runner-up finish at the French Open last week, the two-time Olympic medallist defeated Kharb 21-13, 21-16 in a 38-minute semifinal encounter. It was the first time the two Indians had faced each other in an international match. Sindhu has been particularly dominant in Saarbrücken, reaching the final without dropping a single game.

She will now take on Denmark's Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt in Sunday's final as she looks to turn her recent run of strong performances into a tournament title.

At the French Open in Paris last week, Sindhu had fought hard before losing 21-16, 11-21, 12-21 to South Korea's world number one An Se Young, who went on to claim her fourth title at the tournament.

Lakshya also delivered an impressive performance in his semifinal, defeating sixth-seeded Frenchman Toma Junior Popov 21-17, 21-13 in 41 minutes. The victory improved the Indian's head-to-head record against Popov to 3-2.

The final appearance marks Lakshya's second title-round outing of the season. He had earlier finished runner-up at the prestigious All England Open and will now look to go one step further against Denmark's Mathias Sogaard.

The simultaneous presence of Sindhu and Lakshya in the finals is a notable achievement for Indian badminton. The last time the two reached the title rounds of the same tournament was at the Syed Modi India International in 2024.

Speaking after her semifinal victory, Sindhu welcomed the opportunity to face an Indian opponent, saying it was good to see two Indian players reach the last four of an international tournament.

"I think I'm playing her after a very long time, and it's good to see two Indians in the semifinals. I was just focused on playing my game and giving 100 per cent, irrespective of who the opponent was or what her ranking was. I'm happy that I've made it to the final," she said.

Sindhu also expressed satisfaction with her performance, particularly her ability to maintain control of the match and finish it in straight games. She said she hoped to carry the same momentum into the final.

With both players now just one victory away from the title, India will be hoping for a memorable finish to the tournament in Germany.

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