Vantaa, Finland — Rising Indian shuttler Anmol Kharb’s dream run at the Arctic Open 2025 came to a close in the semi-finals, where she was defeated by top seed Akane Yamaguchi in straight games.
What was the scoreline and how did the match unfold?
- The match ended 21-10, 21-13 in favour of Yamaguchi.
- The contest lasted just under half an hour.
- In the first game, Yamaguchi clinched 10 points on the trot to seal the game decisively.
In the second, Yamaguchi raced to a 7-3 lead, but Kharb staged a fightback, narrowing the gap to 10-9. However, Yamaguchi regained control and dictated the pace to clinch the win.
What did this run mean for Anmol Kharb and who did she beat to reach here?
This was Kharb’s first semi-final appearance in a BWF Super 500 event.
She had reached the semi by defeating Amalie Schulz of Denmark in the previous round.
At the time, Kharb’s world ranking stood at No. 62 in women’s singles.
Yamaguchi, on the other hand, is world No. 4, and is a three-time world champion.
What else happened for Indian players at the Arctic Open?
With Kharb’s exit, India’s challenge in the women’s singles ended at this stage.
In mixed doubles, the Indian pair Dhruv Kapila / Tanisha Crasto exited at the quarter-final stage.
In the men’s draw, Tharun Mannepalli was the only Indian to reach the second round.
Lakshya Sen’s campaign ended in the first round, and Kidambi Srikanth conceded a walkover.
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