Reigning world champion PV Sindhu kept alive India’s hopes of a first-ever Olympic gold in badminton by reaching the semi-finals of the women’s singles with a straight-game win over World No. 5 Japanese Akane Yamaguchi on Friday.

Sindhu, 26, who won a silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics, defended brilliantly and rode on her attacking all-round game to outclass Yamaguchi 21-13, 22-20 in a 56-minute quarter-final clash.