PV Sindhu and Satwik-Chirag advance in Singapore Open

PV Sindhu and the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the next round of the Singapore Open after winning their respective matches at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Sindhu won in straight games, while Satwik-Chirag staged a comeback victory

Hyderabad: Indian seniors PV Sindhu and the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty started their Singapore Open campaign on a positive note, advancing to the next round after defeating their respective opponents at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Tuesday.

Sindhu overcame Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani 21-17, 21-18 in women’s singles, while Satwik-Chirag defeated Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith 26-28, 21-15, 21-13 in men’s doubles.

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Sindhu, champion of the 2022 edition, defeated the fifth-seeded Indonesian in straight games to level their head-to-head record at 3-3. The Indian took early control in the opening game with a four-point advantage. Although she faced a brief setback, Sindhu quickly recovered to draw level at 16-all before winning five consecutive points to secure the first game.

The second game witnessed an intense battle for every point, with Sindhu taking the lead at crucial moments before sealing the match in straight games. She will next face Japan’s Riko Gunji in the pre-quarterfinals.

In men’s doubles, World No. 4 Satwik-Chirag lost the opening game despite saving seven game points in a tightly contested battle. The Indian duo responded strongly to force a decider and then dominated the third game, closing it out 21-13 after one hour and 15 minutes of play. Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan await them in the Round of 16.