India’s men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, defeated World Champions Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of Korea in straight games to advance to the final of the Singapore Open BWF World Series Super 750 tournament. This victory marked their first win over the Korean duo in three encounters, securing a spot in their second World Tour final this year.
Satwik and Chirag, the 2025 World Championships bronze medallists, overcame early deficits in both games against the Koreans during the semifinal on Saturday. Despite trailing at 8-13 and 13-17 in the first game, the Indian pair maintained composure and executed their game plan effectively to secure the game. Chirag mentioned, “When we were down, we kept calm and backed ourselves because we knew if we stuck to our plan, they would crack at some point.”
In the second game, Satwik and Chirag found themselves behind at 11-14 before staging a remarkable comeback by claiming six consecutive points to take a 17-14 lead. They maintained this advantage to secure their spot in the finals. Chirag emphasized the importance of staying composed and steady, especially when attacking, against the formidable Kim/Seo duo.
The Indian duo will now face the winner of the semifinal match between Mathias Christiansen and Alexander Boe of Denmark and China’s Gao Jia Xuan and Wei Ya Xin in the final. Meanwhile, the Indian mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto bowed out in the semifinals after a hard-fought match against Japan’s Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara.
In the quarterfinals, Satwik and Chirag faced a tough challenge but managed to secure a victory against a Chinese Taipei pair, extending their unbeaten record against them to 7-0. They are set to compete against Malaysia’s Kang Khai Xing and Aaron Tai in the upcoming match, seeking redemption after a loss earlier this year in the All England Open campaign.
