Singapore Open – Artifex.News https://artifex.news Stay Connected. Stay Informed. Sun, 31 May 2026 12:04:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 https://artifex.news/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/cropped-cropped-app-logo-32x32.png Singapore Open – Artifex.News https://artifex.news 32 32 Satwik-Chirag end title drought with maiden Singapore Open crown https://artifex.news/article71044517-ece/ Sun, 31 May 2026 12:04:00 +0000 https://artifex.news/article71044517-ece/ Read More “Satwik-Chirag end title drought with maiden Singapore Open crown” »

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After dropping a closely-fought opening game, Satwik and Chirag raised their intensity and dominated the longer rallies to turn the contest around against the world No. 3 Indonesians. Credit: Instagram/Chirag Shetty

Former world No. 1 pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty fought back from a game down to clinch their maiden Singapore Open title, defeating Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in the men’s doubles final of the BWF Super 750 tournament, in Singapore on Sunday (May 31, 2026).

The Asian Games and Commonwealth Games champions produced a gritty comeback to secure their first title in two years and their ninth career World Tour crown, besides claiming a third Super 750 title with a tense 18-21, 21-17, 21-16 win in one hour 13 minutes.

The victory was particularly significant for the world No. 4 Indian duo, who became the first Indians to win the doubles title at the Singapore Open.

Satwik and Chirag had last lifted a trophy at the Thailand Open in 2024. Since then, they had reached four finals but finished runners-up on each occasion before finally breaking the drought in Singapore.

The Indians had entered the final trailing 1-2 in their head-to-head record against the Indonesian pair, with their most recent defeat coming in the Malaysia Open quarterfinals in January.

After dropping a closely-fought opening game, Satwik and Chirag raised their intensity and dominated the longer rallies to turn the contest around against the world No. 3 Indonesians.

The triumph capped an impressive week for the Indian pair, who had stunned reigning world champions and top seeds Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea in the semifinals.

As the winning point was sealed, Satwik and Chirag lay flat on the court in celebration.

Satwik followed it up with a baby-themed celebration, while an ecstatic Chirag let out a loud roar before leaping onto his partner.

The duo later danced on court as they savoured a long-awaited return to the top step on the podium.



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Singapore Open badminton: Sindhu falls to An Se Young; Satwik-Chirag in semifinals https://artifex.news/article71036901-ece/ Fri, 29 May 2026 10:56:00 +0000 https://artifex.news/article71036901-ece/ Read More “Singapore Open badminton: Sindhu falls to An Se Young; Satwik-Chirag in semifinals” »

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File photo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
| Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

P.V. Sindhu lacked the consistency required to trouble world No. 1 An Se Young for sustained periods, going down in the quarterfinals but ace men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty moved into the semifinals with a hard-fought win at the Singapore Open Super 750 badminton tournament in Singapore on Friday (May 29, 2026).

The two-time Olympic medallist showed flashes of her attacking best and managed to put the Korean under pressure in phases, but An’s superior control, movement and ability to win the crucial points ensured another comfortable 21-17 21-14 victory in their lopsided rivalry.

The loss extended Sindhu’s winless run against the reigning Olympic champion to nine matches. Across those meetings, the Indian has managed to take a game off An only once, at the 2023 Badminton Asia Championships.

Satwik and Chirag, the Asian Games champion and fourth seeds here, came from a game down to get the better of Malaysia’s Khai Xing Kang and Aaron Tai 19-21 21-17 21-13 in a gruelling contest that lasted one hour and five minutes.

The Indian pair will now be up against top seeds Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of Korea, who defeated seventh seeded Japanese combination of Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi 21-19 21-18.

Sindhu vs An Se Young

The challenge was always formidable for Sindhu against an opponent who has lost just one match this year after suffering only four defeats in the whole of 2025, underlining the Korean’s remarkable dominance on the world circuit.

Sindhu looked intent on taking the attack to An from the outset, using her powerful smashes and early interceptions to dictate rallies whenever possible.

However, the Indian trailed 7-11 at the mid-game interval in the opening game before clawing her way back to 13-14 with a series of aggressive returns and attacking strokes.

While Sindhu’s proactive approach helped her stay in contention, An’s command at the net and ability to absorb pressure allowed her to regain control. A body smash and a round-the-head winner helped Sindhu narrow the gap to 16-18 before she won the longest rally of the match to make it 17-19.

But an untimely wide shot handed An three game points, and the Korean wrapped up the opener when Sindhu sent another return long.

The second game began disastrously for Sindhu as An stormed to a 6-0 lead. The Indian gradually found her rhythm, reducing the deficit to 6-8 with a smash winner, a long return from An and a net-touch fault by the Korean.

Game is too fast now to rely on one style, so we had to evolve: Satwik-Chirag

An soon restored her advantage and led 11-7 at the break after producing a precise cross-court winner that left Sindhu stranded.

The Indian made an aggressive start after the interval and stayed within striking distance at 11-14 before winning a gruelling 30-shot rally to close the gap to 12-14.

However, a few unforced errors at crucial moments halted her momentum. As her attacking accuracy dipped, Sindhu slipped to 13-18 and struggled to contain An’s relentless precision.

The Korean repeatedly moved Sindhu around the court with her deft placement and exceptional retrieval skills before earning seven match points. An converted on her second opportunity when Sindhu’s return sailed long, sealing her place in the semifinals after a 48-minute contest.



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