Sindhu, Lakshya and Satwik-Chirag Storm Into Singapore Open Quarter-finals

Singapore, May 2026 : India enjoyed a highly successful day at the Singapore Open on Thursday as top shuttlers PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarter-finals, while mixed doubles duo Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila scripted one of the tournament’s most remarkable comebacks.

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu continued her impressive campaign with another commanding straight-games victory. The Indian star outclassed Japan’s Riko Gunji 21-9, 21-12 in just 37 minutes, displaying complete dominance throughout the contest.

Sindhu controlled the rallies from the outset, using her sharp attacking strokes and court coverage to prevent her opponent from finding any rhythm. The former world champion looked confident and composed as she built on the momentum gained from her opening-round win over Indonesian fifth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani.

With back-to-back convincing performances, Sindhu has now entered the last eight without facing major resistance. However, her toughest test of the tournament awaits in the quarter-finals, where she is set to face reigning Olympic champion and world No. 1 An Se-young of South Korea. Sindhu has yet to defeat An in their previous eight meetings, making the upcoming clash a significant challenge for the Indian shuttler.

In men’s doubles, fourth-seeded Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were pushed hard before securing a gritty three-game win against Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan.

The Indian pair began strongly and comfortably claimed the opening game 21-15 with aggressive attacking play and solid coordination. However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the second game as the Taiwanese duo dominated proceedings to level the match with a convincing 21-11 win.

The decider turned into a tense battle, with both teams exchanging points in a closely fought contest. Satwik and Chirag eventually regained their composure at crucial moments and closed out the match 21-18 to book their place in the quarter-finals.

The Indian duo will now take on Malaysia’s Aaron Tai and Kang Khai Xing for a spot in the semi-finals.

One of the standout performances of the day came from mixed doubles pair Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila, who produced a spirited comeback victory against Japan’s Maya Taguchi and Yuta Watanabe.

The Indian pair struggled badly in the opening game and were completely outplayed, losing 8-21. However, they responded brilliantly in the next two games by improving their defence and adopting a far more aggressive approach at the net.

Gradually gaining confidence and momentum, Tanisha and Dhruv turned the match around to register a memorable 8-21, 21-17, 21-16 victory. The win comes as a timely boost for the duo, who had been searching for consistency in recent tournaments.

In the quarter-finals, the Indian pair will face Malaysia’s world No. 4 combination of Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei.

Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen advanced to the quarter-finals under unusual circumstances after Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn retired almost immediately during their round-of-16 encounter. The Paris 2024 silver medallist withdrew after only two points had been played, sending Lakshya through with hardly any time spent on court.

Lakshya will now face Japan’s Koki Watanabe in the quarter-finals as he aims to continue his strong run in the tournament.

Later in the day, India’s HS Prannoy is scheduled to face former world champion and Singaporean star Loh Kean Yew in a crucial clash for a place in the last eight.