Key HighlightsPV Sindhu lost to Akane Yamaguchi 23-21, 18-21, 11-21.Japan took an early 1-0 lead in the women’s team quarterfinal.Unnati Hooda then lost to Tomoka Miyazaki in straight games.Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won their doubles match to keep India alive.Tanvi Sharma lost to former world champion Nozomi Okuhara.Japan eventually defeated India 3-1 and advanced to the semifinals.How Did PV Sindhu Lose to Akane Yamaguchi?PV Sindhu started strongly against three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi and won a closely contested opening game 23-21.Sindhu recovered from an 18-15 deficit and saved a game point before taking the first game. Yamaguchi responded in the second game, using long rallies and changes of pace to win 21-18.The Japanese shuttler then controlled the deciding game, building an 11-4 lead at the change of ends. Sindhu could not recover and eventually lost the third game 11-21.The result gave Japan a 1-0 lead in the quarterfinal.What Happened in the India vs Japan Badminton Quarterfinal?India faced Japan in the women’s team quarterfinal at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium on Tuesday.After Sindhu's defeat, Unnati Hooda was given the responsibility of levelling the tie against Tomoka Miyazaki. However, Miyazaki won 21-16, 21-18 to put Japan 2-0 ahead.India then needed to win the remaining matches to stay in the competition.Did Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Keep India Alive?Yes. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand reduced Japan’s lead by defeating Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto 21-17, 21-16.The win made the score 2-1 and briefly kept India’s hopes of reaching the semifinals alive. The Indian pair had also won a bronze medal at the World Championships last month.Why Did India Exit the Asian Games Badminton Event?Tanvi Sharma was required to win the fourth rubber against former world champion Nozomi Okuhara.However, Okuhara won 21-12, 21-10 to give Japan an unassailable 3-1 victory. The result ended India’s campaign in the women’s team badminton event at the quarterfinal stage.(READ MORE : Asian Games 2026: Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Mane Break Asian Record in 10m Air Rifle Qualification)What Was PV Sindhu’s Record Against Yamaguchi?The Sindhu vs Yamaguchi rivalry remains one of the prominent matchups in women's badminton. Before Tuesday’s match, Sindhu had won 16 of their previous 30 meetings, according to reports.Sindhu had also defeated Yamaguchi in the Japan Open final earlier this year, making their Asian Games meeting another closely followed contest.What Happens to India’s Badminton Campaign Now?India’s women’s team will not win a medal in the Asian Games 2026 team event after the 1-3 quarterfinal defeat.The focus now shifts to the remaining badminton events, including the men’s team competition, where India has players such as Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy.TimelineSeptember 22, 2026: PV Sindhu faced Akane Yamaguchi in the opening singles match.Match 1: Yamaguchi defeated Sindhu 21-23, 21-18, 21-11.Match 2: Tomoka Miyazaki defeated Unnati Hooda 21-16, 21-18.Match 3: Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand defeated Fukushima and Matsumoto 21-17, 21-16.Match 4: Nozomi Okuhara defeated Tanvi Sharma 21-12, 21-10.Final score: Japan defeated India 3-1 and entered the semifinals.
