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Thailand Open: Satwik-Chirag Storm into Semis; Sindhu Bows Out

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the Thailand Open semifinals with a dominant win over Japan's Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami. PV Sindhu exited in the quarterfinals after a tough three-game loss to Akane Yamaguchi. The Indian men's doubles pair, world No. 4, is seeking their first title since 2024. Lakshya Sen is set to face reigning champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the men's singles quarterfinals.

Key Points: Thailand Open: Satwik-Chirag in Semis, Sindhu Loses

  • Satwik-Chirag beat Japan's Nomura/Shimogami 21-12, 21-13
  • Sindhu loses 21-19, 18-21, 15-21 to Yamaguchi
  • First BWF World Tour semifinal for Indian pair in 2026
  • Lakshya Sen to face Kunlavut Vitidsarn later
2 min read

Thailand Open: Satwik-Chirag enter semis; Sindhu loses to Yamaguchi

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty enter Thailand Open semis. PV Sindhu loses to Akane Yamaguchi in quarterfinals. Lakshya Sen to play later.

"They jumped to an impressive 10-0 lead in the first game - Match report"

Pathumwan, May 15

India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, moved into the semifinals of the Thailand Open with a strong victory in Bangkok on Friday.

Meanwhile, P. V. Sindhu faced a quarterfinal exit after losing a tough match against Japan's Akane Yamaguchi.

Later on Friday, Lakshya Sen was set to compete against reigning champion and home favourite Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the men's singles quarterfinals.

The top-seeded Indian men's doubles team dominated Japan's Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami, winning 21-12, 21-13 in just 41 minutes. This marks their first semifinal appearance at a BWF World Tour event in 2026.

Playing against the world No. 34 Japanese pair for the first time, Satwik and Chirag were in full control from the start. They jumped to an impressive 10-0 lead in the first game before Nomura and Shimogami finally scored.

Although the sixth-seeded Japanese pair made a brief comeback after the interval and cut the lead to four points at 10-14, the Indian duo quickly regained their edge to finish the opening game with ease.

The second game was a bit more competitive at the beginning, with the Japanese pair staying within two points for much of the first half. However, Satwik and Chirag kept their cool and gradually pulled away, closing out the match decisively.

The world No. 4 Indian pair, looking for their first title since winning the Thailand Open in 2024, will face either Malaysia's third-seeded pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin or Scotland's Christopher Grimley and Matthew Grimley in the semifinals.

Earlier, double Olympic medallist Sindhu lost her match 21-19, 18-21, 15-21 to top seed and world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi in a hard-fought women's singles quarterfinal.

Sindhu started the match with a good 15-11 head-to-head record against the Japanese star and managed to win a tight opening game, trading points until the score was tied at 19-19. She then won the next two points to take the lead.

In the second game, the sixth-seeded Sindhu looked strong as she held a four-point lead at the mid-game interval. However, a string of unforced errors allowed Yamaguchi to take seven straight points and turn the match around.

The Japanese player took advantage of this shift to push the match into a deciding game and dominated the third game to secure victory in 61 minutes.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Sad to see Sindhu lose again to Yamaguchi. She had a 15-11 head-to-head record but it's becoming a mental block now. Too many unforced errors in crucial moments. She needs to work on her consistency before the big events.
M
Michael C
The men's doubles pair is really peaking at the right time. 41 minutes to finish a quarterfinal is world-class stuff. Lakshya Sen's match against Kunlavut will be the real test though - the Thai crowd will be loud!
K
Kavya N
Sindhu's match showed why Yamaguchi is world No. 3. The momentum shift in the second game was brutal - seven straight points! But credit to Sindhu for fighting till the end. The depth in Indian badminton is growing with Satwik-Chirag and Lakshya doing well.
S
Siddharth J
First semifinal at a World Tour event in 2026 - what a turnaround! The chemistry between Satwik and Chirag is unmatched. Their coordination at the net is just beautiful to watch. Let's hope they go all the way! 🏸
D
David E
Sindhu needs to improve her mental game. She dominates the opening game, then loses focus in the decider. At this level, every point matters. That 7-point streak by Yamaguchi was painful to watch. She's still a legend, but retiring gracefully might be an option soon.

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