Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty Claim First Singapore Open Title

Historic Victory for Indian Doubles Pair

In a thrilling final at the BWF Super 750 tournament, former world No. 1 duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty made a remarkable comeback to secure their first Singapore Open title, overcoming Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri on Sunday.

The champions of the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games showcased their resilience, clinching their first title in two years and marking their ninth career World Tour victory. They triumphed with a scoreline of 18-21, 21-17, 21-16 after a grueling one hour and 13 minutes.

This win is particularly noteworthy as they became the first Indian pair to capture the doubles title at the Singapore Open.

Prior to this, Satwik and Chirag last celebrated a victory at the Thailand Open in 2024. Since then, they had reached four finals but finished as runners-up each time before finally breaking their title drought in Singapore.

Entering the final, the Indian pair was trailing 1-2 in their previous encounters against the Indonesian team, with their last defeat occurring in the Malaysia Open quarterfinals in January.

After a closely contested first game, Satwik and Chirag elevated their game, dominating the longer rallies to turn the match in their favor against the world No. 3 Indonesian pair.

The victory capped off an impressive week for the Indian duo, who had previously stunned the reigning world champions and top seeds, Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae from South Korea, in the semifinals.

As they secured the winning point, Chirag celebrated by lying flat on the court, while Satwik followed with a baby-themed celebration. An ecstatic Chirag let out a loud cheer before jumping onto his partner.

The duo later danced on the court, relishing their long-awaited return to the top of the podium.

“I feel a bit numb today as we have won a title after two years. We were a bit anxious before coming here because our past performances were not great. But this week has been special,” Satwik expressed after their victory.

The intense final saw the Indians recover from a slow start, gradually asserting their dominance over their opponents.

Initially, Satwik and Chirag appeared rusty, falling behind 2-5 before powerful smashes from Satwik helped them level at 5-5.

The match remained tight, with the Indians holding a slight 11-9 lead at the mid-game interval. However, the momentum shifted after the break as Alfian and Fikri scored three consecutive points to take the lead.

The Indonesians edged ahead at 15-14, and despite the Indians leveling the score at 16-16, 17-17, and 18-18 after a tough rally, crucial errors cost them the game, which ended in 21 minutes.

In the second game, the Indian pair came out with renewed aggression, quickly taking a 2-0 lead and maintaining an 11-8 advantage at the interval. A six-point surge after the break extended their lead to 14-8, putting pressure on the Indonesians.

Satwik and Chirag maintained their control, reaching 20-15 before the Indonesians narrowed the gap to 20-17. The Indians ultimately sealed the game after 24 minutes, with Chirag’s sharp net play being pivotal in leveling the match.

The deciding game was tense, but the Indians rose to the occasion, with Satwik’s powerful smashes making a significant impact.

Five consecutive points allowed them to establish a 6-2 lead, and they continued to attack, leading 11-6 at the final interval. Although the Indonesians fought back to reduce the deficit to 12-11, the Indian duo remained composed.

Satwik’s booming smashes repeatedly saved them in critical moments, allowing them to extend their lead from 15-13 to 18-13.

Despite a brief resurgence from the Indonesians, a series of errors at the net compounded their issues. With the finish line in sight, Satwik’s powerful hitting came through as the Indians earned five match points at 20-15.

Although they received a yellow card for delaying the serve, it had little impact. Alfian sent his return into the net on the next point, igniting wild celebrations from the Indian duo for their memorable victory.