Hariharan-Arjun reach quarterfinals at Indonesia Open 2026
Jakarta Jun, e 4
India's men's doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun upset a higher-ranked Malaysian duo, Aaron Tai and Kang Khai Xing, from a game down to reach their first-ever BWF World Tour Super 1000 quarterfinals in the ongoing Indonesia Open at Jakarta.
Hari & Arjun defeated the Malaysian duo 16-21, 21-15, 21-19, who defeated India's Satwik-Chirag at the All England 2026 in the opening round, according to a press release.
While the opening game wasn't in the Indian's favour, they bounced back in the second from mid-game to force a decider. Though trailing the final game until 16-17, they regained hold, eventually sealing the victory at 48 minutes. They next face seventh seed Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin of Malaysia.
The Indian pair, currently ranked at world no 30, gained spotlight earlier this year when they defeated former World No. 6 and World Championship medalists Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi of Malaysia at the India Open and were part of the bronze medal-winning Thomas Cup team 2026.
Earlier, PV Sindhu lost to An Se Young 17-21, 15-21 in women's singles, while Ayush Shetty exited against Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu 21-16, 13-21, 14-21 in men's singles.
Earlier on Wednesday, India's Indonesia Open campaign took a major hit as the doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty withdrew from the tournament owing to the former's injury.
Notably, the Indian duo retired from their men's doubles first-round match against Malaysia's Aaron Tai and Kang Khai Xing on Wednesday.
The Badminton Association of India (BAI), in a statement on Wednesday, confirmed that Satwiksairaj and Chirag have withdrawn from the Indonesia Open 2026 due to Satwik's injury. The statement further noted that the pair will now focus on recovery and rehabilitation ahead of upcoming tournaments, with the association wishing the shuttler a speedy recovery.
"Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have withdrawn from the POLYTRON Indonesia Open 2026 due to the former's injury. The pair will now focus on recovery and rehabilitation as they prepare for the important tournaments ahead. We wish Satwik a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing the duo back on court soon," read the BAI statement.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Sad to see Satwik injured again 😔 He and Chirag are our top pair, but we must prioritize health over short-term results. The BAI statement is right—recovery is key. In the meantime, thrilled that Hariharan-Arjun are stepping up! Shows the bench strength we've built.
Fantastic comeback from a game down! Trailing 16-17 in the decider and still winning 21-19—that's true grit. These boys have the fighting spirit we love to see in Indian sports. Quarterfinals of a Super 1000 is no joke. Hope they go all the way! 🔥
Good for the men's doubles, but worried about PV Sindhu's form. Losing to An Se Young is understandable—she's the world No.1—but the scoreline 17-21, 15-21 suggests she's still not at her best. Ayush Shetty also lost after winning the first game. Need some consistency across the board.
Really proud of this pair. Beating teams like Ong-Teo at India Open and now reaching a Super 1000 quarterfinal at World No.30 shows their potential. But there's still room to improve— they dropped the first game too easily. Against top seeds, they'll need to start stronger. All the best! 🇮🇳
Satwik-Chirag's withdrawal was a big blow, but this win softens the blow. The Thomas Cup bronze medal winning pair is now showing they belong at
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