Kuala Lumpur’s Axiata Arena witnessed the resurgence of 30-year-old PV Sindhu’s career. The Indian badminton ace continued her blistering form at the Malaysia Open 2026, defeating her longtime rival, Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, to march into the semifinals. Meanwhile, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bowed out, ending their campaign at the Super 1000 event in the quarterfinals against Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Fikri.
Returning from an injury layoff – a foot injury that sidelined her for much of late 2025 – Sindhu looked sharper and more focused than the previous year, starting the season on a high note.
Against Japan’s three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi, the Indian ace dominated with cross-court smashes and clever placements, leaving the world No. 3 guessing. Sindhu secured the opening game 21-11 in just 12 minutes. Yamaguchi, who was playing with a knee brace, struggled visibly on court and did not continue afterward. As a result, Sindhu advanced to the semifinals of the Malaysia Open for the first time in eight years. This victory extended her head-to-head record over the Japanese veteran to 15-12.
Earlier in the tournament, Sindhu had comfortably knocked out Taiwan’s Sung Shuo Yun (21-13, 22-20) and Japan’s world No. 9 Tomoka Miyazaki (21-8, 21-13). She now faces China’s world No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi in the semifinals.
End of the Road for Sat-Chi
The formidable men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty committed several unforced errors against Indonesia’s Alfian and Fikri, resulting in their quarterfinal exit at the Malaysia Open. They went down in straight games, losing 10-21, 21-23.
The match began with Satwik and Chirag making repeated unforced errors – Chirag hitting the net and Satwik faltering on backhand deception. Capitalising on these mistakes, Alfian and Fikri raced to an early 5-0 lead and extended it to 11-4 at the interval. The Indonesians continued to outmaneuver the Indians with flat exchanges and front-court placements, keeping them off balance. They earned 10 game points and sealed the first game when Chirag misjudged a return that landed outside the backline.
In the second game, the former world No. 1 duo returned with renewed energy and took a narrow 11-10 lead at the mid-game interval. After the break, they pressed forward with deep smashes and intercepted flat exchanges, forcing errors from the Indonesians to reach 18-14. However, Alfian and Fikri fought back with consecutive points to level the score at 19-19. The match then swung like a pendulum, with both pairs saving match points. Ultimately, a lucky net cord from Fikri – the shuttle striking the net and dropping just inside the Sat-Chi court – sealed the Indians’ exit from the Super 1000 event.
