Hylo Open: Anmol Kharb sets up all-Indian semi-final with PV Sindhu

Anmol Kharb has set up an all-Indian women's singles semi-final against PV Sindhu at the Hylo Open 2026, a BWF Super 500 badminton tournament in Saarbrucken, Germany. In the quarter-finals on Friday, October 30, 2026, Kharb beat fellow Indian Unnati Hooda 21-17, 18-21, 21-16, while Sindhu beat Denmark's Amalie Schulz 21-12, 21-10 in about 28 minutes. Lakshya Sen also reached the men's singles semi-finals by coming from a game down to beat Finland's Kalle Koljonen 14-21, 21-17, 21-13, giving India three players in the last four.

For young Indian badminton players, this week in Saarbrucken has been a showcase. Three Indian women reached the quarter-finals of the women's singles, and two of them, Kharb and Hooda, had to play each other for a semi-final place. That an all-Indian quarter-final and then an all-Indian semi-final happened at a Super 500 event on the BWF World Tour shows how much depth has built up behind Sindhu, India's best-known women's singles player.

Kharb's run is the headline for younger fans. Her win over Line Christophersen, the third seed and world No. 12, was the kind of upset that changes a player's ranking and confidence. Beating Hooda, another of India's rising players, in a deciding game then showed she could close out a tight match after losing the second game. A semi-final against Sindhu is both a test and a rare chance: few young players get to face the player they grew up watching on an international court with a final place at stake.

For Sindhu, the tournament is a chance to rebuild momentum. Her straight-game win over Schulz was quick and controlled. A place in the final would guarantee India a finalist in women's singles, since one of the two Indians must win the semi-final.

Lakshya Sen's comeback against Koljonen showed a familiar pattern: he lost the first game but recovered over the next two. Reaching the last four keeps up his run of results on the World Tour and gives India a chance at a title in both singles events.

Short-term: India is assured of one women's singles finalist, because Kharb and Sindhu meet in the semi-final. Ranking points from a Super 500 semi-final and final are significant, especially for a younger player like Kharb who is trying to move up the world rankings and earn direct entry to bigger events.

Long-term: Repeated all-Indian matches at international events point to a deeper pool of women's singles players. That gives the national federation more options for team events, such as the Uber Cup, and for future Olympic qualification, where only a limited number of players from one country can qualify.

Who is affected: Young Indian shuttlers and their coaches and academies, who see players of their own generation reaching the late stages of World Tour events; national selectors; and fans who follow Indian badminton beyond the biggest names.

What young players can take from it: Kharb's path this week ran through a top-15 seed and a fellow Indian in a deciding game. For juniors, the lesson is that wins over seeded players at World Tour events are how ranking points, and entry to bigger tournaments, are earned.

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