Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the semifinals of the Singapore Open men’s doubles event on Friday, overcoming a first-game deficit to defeat Malaysian pair Aaron Tai and Kang Khai Xing in a three-game match, 21-17, 21-17, 21-1, according to ESPN. The Indian duo trailed 6-11 at the interval in the opening game and later faced another five-point gap at 13-18, but reduced the deficit before the Malaysians secured the game due to errors from the Indians.
In the second game, Rankireddy and Shetty again trailed 3-8, with Shetty playing while wearing a back brace. They recovered to lead 11-9 at the interval and, after levelling at 16-16, scored four consecutive points to reach game point and force a decider. The final game saw the former world number ones dominate their Malaysian opponents. Their next opponents will be world number one pair Seo Seungjae and Kim Wonho.
In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also reached the semifinals, defeating Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei when the Malaysian pair retired hurt with Toh leading 18-15 in the first game. A smash from Kapila caused both Malaysians to fall, with Toh requiring medical attention for her knee injury and eventually being unable to continue, awarding the win to the Indian duo.
India’s Lakshya Sen, Commonwealth Games champion, was eliminated in the men’s singles quarterfinals after losing 19-21, 21-15, 15-21 to Japan’s Koki Watanabe.
Veteran shuttler PV Sindhu’s run at the Singapore Open Super 750 ended in the quarterfinals following a 17-21, 14-21 defeat to world number one An Se Young. Despite the straight-game loss in 48 minutes, Sindhu displayed attacking skill and resilience against the top-ranked player. She challenged An early in the match, drawing level at 7-7 and reducing the score to 14-13 in the first game while winning extended rallies. However, unforced errors and pressure allowed An to close out the opening game.
In the second game, An took a 6-0 lead, maintaining control despite Sindhu reducing the gap to 7-9. An eventually secured the match comfortably. The defeat marked An’s ninth victory over Sindhu, highlighting the growing consistency gap at the elite level, though Sindhu demonstrated capability to compete with the best. Prior to this, Sindhu had recorded a notable win over fifth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani, offering confidence ahead of key upcoming events such as the World Championships and Asian Games.