There are smashes and then, smashes. PV Sindhu’s crosscourt expansive power-laced ones are known. But it was the flatter ones, and the sliced hits – the half smashes and cleverer drops that gave the Indian World No 11 a stroke-filled semifinal victory over Japanese former Junior World champion Hina Akechi as she made her second Super 750 finals of a fruitful 2026, at the Tremblay en France of the French Open.

A large part of the charm of badminton in France – be it French Opens where Satwik-Chirag won consistently or the smaller Orleans tournament is the stadium DJ numbers. After Sindhu took the opener, 21-10, the arena blared out ABBA’s Dancing Queen for the regal manner of her finish, a crisply struck flatter smash – albeit cross.…