India’s top men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty continued their impressive run at the Thailand Open 2026 as they stormed into the semifinals on Friday, May 15, with a dominant straight-game victory in Bangkok.
The top-seeded Indian duo defeated Japan’s Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami 21-12, 21-13 in the quarterfinals at the Nimibutr Stadium.
Satwik and Chirag looked in complete control from the very beginning and raced to a stunning 10-0 lead in the opening game against the world No. 34 Japanese pair. Although Nomura and Shimogami attempted a comeback after the mid-game interval, the Indian pair maintained their dominance to comfortably close out the opener.
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The second game saw a more competitive fight initially, but the Indian duo once again showcased their superior coordination and attacking gameplay to seal the contest in just 41 minutes.
The former Thailand Open champions are currently chasing their first title in nearly two years, with their last major triumph coming at the same tournament in 2024. Satwik and Chirag will now face either Malaysia’s third-seeded pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin or Scotland’s Christopher Grimley and Matthew Grimley in the semifinals.
Heartbreak For PV Sindhu
Meanwhile, it was heartbreak for PV Sindhu in the women’s singles category as the two-time Olympic medallist suffered a quarterfinal exit against Japan’s world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi.
Sindhu went down 21-19, 18-21, 15-21 in a thrilling 61-minute contest despite putting up a spirited fight against the top seed. The Indian shuttler entered the clash with a 15-11 head-to-head advantage over Yamaguchi and showed glimpses of her vintage form throughout the match.
The opening game remained tightly contested with neither player managing a significant lead. Sindhu held her nerve at crucial moments to edge past Yamaguchi and take the first game. She also looked in control during the early phase of the second game before a series of unforced errors shifted the momentum in favour of the Japanese star.
Yamaguchi capitalised on the momentum swing and forced the match into a decider before dominating the final game with her trademark consistency and defensive brilliance. With Sindhu’s defeat, India’s campaign in the women’s singles category came to an end at the BWF Super 500 event.
Later in the day, Lakshya Sen will take on reigning world champion and home favourite Kunlavut Vitidsarn in a highly anticipated men’s singles quarterfinal clash.
