NEW DELHI: India experienced a day of mixed results at the Singapore Open Super 750 on Friday. While PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen were eliminated in the quarterfinals, the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty secured a gritty comeback victory to advance to the semifinals.
Sindhu Falls to An Se Young Again
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu once again found reigning Olympic champion and world No. 1 An Se Young too formidable, losing 17-21, 14-21 in a 48-minute women's singles quarterfinal. This defeat extended Sindhu's winless streak against the Korean star to nine matches, highlighting An's dominance in one of badminton's most one-sided modern rivalries.
Sindhu started aggressively, attempting to overpower An with powerful smashes and quick net interceptions. However, the Korean's superior court coverage and consistency proved decisive. Trailing 7-11 in the opening game, Sindhu fought back to narrow the gap to 13-14 with a series of attacking strokes. She even closed to 17-19 after winning the longest rally of the match, but untimely errors allowed An to close out the game.
The second game began poorly for Sindhu as An raced to a 6-0 lead. Although the Indian recovered briefly and stayed within touching distance at 12-14 after a gruelling 30-shot rally, her momentum faded as unforced errors crept in. An's relentless precision and exceptional retrieval skills eventually wore Sindhu down before the Korean sealed victory comfortably to book her semifinal spot.
Lakshya Sen Loses in Three Games
In men's singles, Lakshya Sen also crashed out after a hard-fought 19-21, 21-15, 15-21 loss to Japan's Koki Watanabe in a 78-minute contest. Sen showed resilience but could not sustain his performance against the Japanese shuttler.
Satwik-Chirag Keep India's Hopes Alive
India's biggest positive of the day came through Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who displayed tremendous resilience to defeat Malaysia's Khai Xing Kang and Aaron Tai 19-21, 21-17, 21-13 in a thrilling men's doubles quarterfinal. The fourth-seeded Indian pair recovered strongly after losing the opening game and gradually took control with their aggressive net play and powerful smashes. The contest lasted one hour and five minutes.
The Asian Games champions will now face top seeds and reigning world champions Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of Korea in the semifinals.
Mixed Doubles Progress
India also enjoyed success in mixed doubles as Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto advanced to the semifinals after Malaysia's third-seeded pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei retired during the opening game. The Indian duo will next face Japan's Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara for a place in the final.
