File photograph of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
| Picture Credit score: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
P.V. Sindhu lacked the consistency required to hassle world No. 1 An Se Younger for sustained durations, taking place within the quarterfinals however ace males’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty moved into the semifinals with a hard-fought win on the Singapore Open Tremendous 750 badminton event in Singapore on Friday (Could 29, 2026).
The 2-time Olympic medallist confirmed flashes of her attacking finest and managed to place the Korean beneath stress in phases, however An’s superior management, motion and talent to win the essential factors ensured one other snug 21-17 21-14 victory of their lopsided rivalry.
The loss prolonged Sindhu’s winless run in opposition to the reigning Olympic champion to 9 matches. Throughout these conferences, the Indian has managed to take a recreation off An solely as soon as, on the 2023 Badminton Asia Championships.
Satwik and Chirag, the Asian Video games champion and fourth seeds right here, got here from a recreation all the way down to get the higher of Malaysia’s Khai Xing Kang and Aaron Tai 19-21 21-17 21-13 in a gruelling contest that lasted one hour and 5 minutes.
The Indian pair will now be up in opposition to prime seeds Kim Received Ho and Web optimization Seung Jae of Korea, who defeated seventh seeded Japanese mixture of Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi 21-19 21-18.
Sindhu vs An Se Younger
The problem was all the time formidable for Sindhu in opposition to an opponent who has misplaced only one match this 12 months after struggling solely 4 defeats in the entire of 2025, underlining the Korean’s exceptional dominance on the world circuit.
Sindhu appeared intent on taking the assault to An from the outset, utilizing her highly effective smashes and early interceptions to dictate rallies at any time when attainable.
Nonetheless, the Indian trailed 7-11 on the mid-game interval within the opening recreation earlier than clawing her method again to 13-14 with a collection of aggressive returns and attacking strokes.
Whereas Sindhu’s proactive method helped her keep in rivalry, An’s command on the internet and talent to soak up stress allowed her to regain management. A physique smash and a round-the-head winner helped Sindhu slender the hole to 16-18 earlier than she received the longest rally of the match to make it 17-19.
However an premature large shot handed An three recreation factors, and the Korean wrapped up the opener when Sindhu despatched one other return lengthy.
The second recreation started disastrously for Sindhu as An stormed to a 6-0 lead. The Indian regularly discovered her rhythm, decreasing the deficit to 6-8 with a smash winner, a protracted return from An and a net-touch fault by the Korean.
Game is too fast now to rely on one style, so we had to evolve: Satwik-Chirag
An quickly restored her benefit and led 11-7 on the break after producing a exact cross-court winner that left Sindhu stranded.
The Indian made an aggressive begin after the interval and stayed inside putting distance at 11-14 earlier than profitable a gruelling 30-shot rally to shut the hole to 12-14.
Nonetheless, a number of unforced errors at essential moments halted her momentum. As her attacking accuracy dipped, Sindhu slipped to 13-18 and struggled to include An’s relentless precision.
The Korean repeatedly moved Sindhu across the courtroom together with her deft placement and distinctive retrieval abilities earlier than incomes seven match factors. An transformed on her second alternative when Sindhu’s return sailed lengthy, sealing her place within the semifinals after a 48-minute contest.
Revealed – Could 29, 2026 04:02 pm IST
