India’s top men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty stormed into the semifinals of the Thailand Open with a commanding straight-game win in Bangkok on Friday, while two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu bowed out after a hard-fought quarterfinal defeat against old nemesis Akane Yamaguchi of Japan.
Later in the day, Lakshya Sen is scheduled to face defending champion and home favourite Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the men’s singles quarterfinals.
Top seeds Satwik and Chirag delivered a dominant performance against Japan’s Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami, registering a comfortable 21-12, 21-13 victory in just 41 minutes. The win marked the Indian duo’s first semifinal appearance at a BWF World Tour event in 2026.
Facing the world No. 34 Japanese pair for the first time, Satwik and Chirag took complete control right from the beginning. The Indians raced to a stunning 10-0 lead in the opening game before their opponents finally managed to get on the scoreboard.
Although the sixth-seeded Japanese combination attempted a brief comeback after the mid-game interval and reduced the deficit to four points at 10-14, the Indian pair quickly regained momentum and comfortably closed out the first game.
The second game was more competitive in the early stages, with Nomura and Shimogami staying within touching distance for much of the first half. However, Satwik and Chirag maintained their composure, gradually extended the lead and wrapped up the match in convincing fashion.
The world No. 4 Indian pair, chasing their first title since winning the Thailand Open in 2024, will next face either Malaysia’s third-seeded duo Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin or Scotland’s brothers Christopher Grimley and Matthew Grimley in the semifinals.
Earlier in the day, Sindhu’s campaign came to an end after she suffered a 21-19, 18-21, 15-21 defeat against top seed and world No. 3 Yamaguchi in an intense women’s singles quarterfinal clash.