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India’s P. V. Sindhu and Ashmita Chaliha advanced to the women’s singles quarterfinals at the French Open badminton tournament in Paris on October 22, 2026, after winning their second-round matches in straight games. Sindhu defeated Japan’s Riko Gunji 21-12, 21-16, while Ashmita produced a notable upset by beating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-19, 21-18.
The results gave India two players in the last eight of the women’s singles draw at the US$950,000 tournament. Their progress came on a mixed day for the Indian contingent, with Tanvi Sharma eliminated by world No. 1 An Se-young and Ayush Shetty retiring from his men’s singles match against Kodai Naraoka.
Ashmita Chaliha delivered one of the day’s standout results by defeating Yamaguchi, Japan’s third seed and a player ranked world No. 2 in reports around the match. The Indian won 21-19, 21-18 in 37 minutes, keeping her composure through two closely contested games to secure a place in the quarterfinals.
The win was especially significant because Ashmita entered the match as the unseeded player. Rather than allowing Yamaguchi to dictate the exchanges, she stayed close on the scoreboard in both games and converted the key points needed to finish the match in straight games.
Ashmita’s progress adds depth to India’s challenge in the women’s singles draw. Her result also sets up another demanding test in the quarterfinals, where the level of opposition rises as the tournament moves into its final stages.
Two-time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu also booked her quarterfinal place with a controlled 21-12, 21-16 win over Japan’s Riko Gunji. The match lasted 44 minutes, with Sindhu winning in two games and avoiding the need for a decider.
The victory keeps Sindhu’s campaign alive at one of the leading events on the BWF World Tour. Her experience at major tournaments gives India another established contender in the knockout rounds, while the straight-game result helps preserve energy for the next match.
With both Sindhu and Ashmita through, India had two representatives in the women’s singles quarterfinals following Thursday’s second-round matches. Their progress offers the Indian team a chance to challenge for a semifinal place at the Paris tournament.
Tanvi Sharma’s run ended against South Korea’s An Se-young, the world No. 1 and top seed. Tanvi lost 11-21, 14-21 in a 37-minute contest. The result underlined the difficulty of facing the leading seed, who advanced in straight games.
In men’s singles, Ayush Shetty retired against Japan’s sixth seed Kodai Naraoka. Shetty was trailing 17-21, 6-11 when he withdrew because of an undisclosed injury, according to the match report. He had reached the second round after defeating compatriot Kidambi Srikanth in the opening round.
The contrast in results showed the narrow margins of a major tour event: two Indian women progressed, while another women’s singles player exited against the top seed and the men’s singles campaign suffered an injury-related setback.
Sindhu and Ashmita move into the quarterfinal stage, where they will aim to extend India’s presence in the women’s singles draw. Their wins give the contingent two opportunities to reach the semifinals, but the next-round results will determine whether either can move closer to the title.
The French Open is part of the BWF World Tour and carries a reported US$950,000 prize purse. For Indian badminton, the immediate focus is on sustaining the momentum from the two straight-game victories while monitoring Shetty’s condition after his retirement. SportsLine.news will update the story as the quarterfinal results are confirmed.
