Singapore Open 2026: India's top-ranked stars Sindhu, Lakshya, Sat-Chi continue winning streak
New Delhi, May 28
India's leading stars PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, along with mixed doubles duo Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Singapore Open on Thursday.
Sindhu outplayed Japan's Riko Gunji in straight games, while Satwik-Chirag defeated Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan 21-15, 11-21, 21-18. Dhruv and Tanisha overcame a Japanese challenge to beat Yuta Watanabe and Maya Taguchi 8-21, 21-17, 21-16, according to a release.
The experienced Sindhu registered a comfortable straight-games victory in just 37 minutes, maintaining control in both games from the beginning. She will next face top seed An Se-young in the quarterfinals.
Lakshya Sen progressed in men's singles after Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn retired with just two points played in the match. Lakshya will next take on Japan's Koki Watanabe.
In men's doubles, fourth-seeded Satwik and Chirag started strongly by taking the opening game but were pushed into a decider after the Chinese Taipei pair dominated the second.
The Indians came back to close out the match 21-18 in the decider, extending their head-to-head record against the duo to 7-0. They will next face Malaysia's Kang Khai Xing and Aaron Tai, to whom they lost their All England Open campaign earlier this year.
In mixed doubles, despite losing the opening game heavily, Dhruv and Tanisha mounted a strong comeback to secure the next two games. A challenging quarterfinal clash awaits them against the third-seeded Malaysian pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Dhruv and Tanisha's comeback was the highlight for me! Losing the first game 8-21 and then winning the next two 21-17, 21-16 shows incredible mental strength. These youngsters are really stepping up. Also, Sat-Chi's ability to close out tight matches is what separates champions from the rest. Let's hope they all go deep into the tournament! 🙏
Solid performances from the Indian contingent. Satwik and Chirag's 7-0 record against that Chinese Taipei pair is impressive, but they need to be more consistent. The second game was a bit sloppy. Also, Lakshya progressing without much court time could be both a blessing and a curse - he might be fresh but also could lack rhythm. An Se-young vs Sindhu will be a cracker!
Honestly, while the wins are welcome, I think we need to be realistic about Sindhu's chances against An Se-young. The Korean has been in phenomenal form and Sindhu has struggled against her recently. But if Sindhu can find her old aggressive style, she can beat anyone! Also great to see mixed doubles pair showing resilience - that's what Indian sports needs more of! 🏸
The Sat-Chi pair is really something special. They've become such a reliable force in men's doubles. But I hope the coaching staff is working on their consistency - dropping the second game 11-21 against a pair they've beaten 7 times isn't ideal. The quarterfinal against the Malaysian pair who beat them at All England will be the real test. Chak de India! 🇮🇳🏸
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