New Delhi: India’s star badminton pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty produced a remarkable comeback to win their maiden Singapore Open men’s doubles title, defeating Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in the final of the prestigious Singapore Open.
The former world No. 1 Indian duo fought back after losing the opening game to register an impressive 18-21, 21-17, 21-16 victory in a thrilling contest that lasted one hour and 13 minutes. The win marked their first title in two years, their ninth career World Tour crown, and a third BWF Super 750 title.
With the triumph, Satwik and Chirag also became the first Indian pair to win the men’s doubles title at the Singapore Open.
The victory ended a long wait for the Indian pair, whose last title came at the Thailand Open in 2024. Since then, they had reached four finals but finished runners-up on each occasion.
The Singapore Open success capped a memorable week for the world No. 4 duo, who had earlier stunned reigning world champions Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae in the semi-finals.
Satwik and Chirag struggled early and narrowly lost the opening game after a series of crucial errors in the closing stages. However, they responded with greater aggression in the second game, using powerful smashes and sharp net play to level the match.
The decisive third game saw the Indians take control through relentless attacking badminton. Satwik’s booming smashes repeatedly put the Indonesian pair under pressure, helping the Indians establish a lead that they never relinquished.
Despite a brief fightback from Alfian and Fikri, the Indian duo maintained their composure to close out the match and secure a landmark victory.
As the winning point was sealed, emotional celebrations followed, with Chirag collapsing to the court in delight before embracing Satwik. The pair later danced on court, celebrating a title that signals their return to the top tier of world badminton.
