Malaysia Open Highlights: Satwik-Chirag crash out in quarters, PV Sindhu reaches semis

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty crashed out early at the Malaysia Open, suffering a straight-game defeat to Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto.

The Indian pair went down 10-21, 21-23 in their season-opener as Alfian-Fikri dominated proceedings to book their place in the next round.

Vimal Kumar, who heads the Centre for Excellence in Bengaluru where PV Sindhu trains, is a happy man. A strong start to the 2026 season once again reiterates his belief that Sindhu can get back into the top 10 this year. 

“Yes, it is certainly a good confidence booster for Sindhu. If she continues to take good care of herself and avoids overdoing her training, she should be just fine — that has been my consistent advice to her," he told indiatoday.tech

"At the very top, An (Se Young) is currently the most dominant female player. The group just below her is quite evenly matched. While several young players are knocking on the door, they are still in the process of maturing and are not quite ready yet.”

It's not just about PV Sindhu. 

India's doubles stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will be in action in the afternoon today.

The third-seeded Indian pair will take on 6th seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Fikri of Indonesia in the quarterfinals today.

PV Sindhu spoke to the media in Malaysia after her pre-quarterfinals win on Thursday. When asked if she was eyeing the Los Angeles Olympics, she said: "The body is like a temple, you have to take care of it. For me, it’s one day at a time. I hope I stay fit, give my best and I will be playing for a couple of more years."

SIndhu has two Olympic medals. She missed out on one in Paris in 2024. 

With the start that she has made after a four-month break, Sindhu has all the more reason to believe she can push and go all the way. 

PV SIndhu, ranked 18, has reached the semi-final of a tournament on the tour for the first time since December 2024. But, coach Vimal Kumar, who heads the Centre for Excellence in Bengaluru where Sindhu trains, believes the two-time Olympic medalist has a void in the women's singles circuit that can be exploited. 

At 30, Sindhu is a senior stateswoman in a sport that demands explosive agility. Amongst her peers, only Ratchanok Intanon (30) and Yamaguchi (28) remain in the top 20. Carolina Marin continues to battle injury cycles, while Nozomi Okuhara has slipped to World No. 30.

Vimal believes the current ‘gap’ at the top of the women’s circuit provides a window for a Sindhu resurgence. Unlike the ultra-competitive men’s circuit, Vimal argues the women’s field is less formidable than it was five years ago.

“The current crop, I don’t think they are as mature as the previous lot," Vimal said. (Read: Vimal Kumar on PV Sindhu)

"Some of these older players are still around... but some of these young girls don’t look as sharp. Only An Se Young is really dominating. Wang, the No. 2, has been playing really well in patches. The other Chinese girls don’t look strong to me. There is a big gap at the top level. Sindhu has experience. She definitely looks better than the other girls like Okuhara and Yamaguchi," he told indiatoday.tech.

Well, first things first, it's not World No. 1 An Se Young. Sindhu has never beaten the South Korean superstar in eight meetings. Yes, she is 0-8 down against An. 

Sindhu wil face the winner of a quarterfinal match between World No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi and World No. 6 Putri Kusuma Wardani. The two shuttlers will meet in the quarter-final later in the day on Court 2. 

Sindhu against Wang: 3-2

Sindhu has a positive head-to-head record against the World No. 2 from China. In fact, SIndhu defeated her in straight games at the World Championships last year. 

Sindhu against Putri: 2-3

Sindhu has beaten the Indonesian shuttle twice in five meetings. It was Putri who ended Sindhu's run in the World Championships last year in the quarterfinals. 

An Se Young, the unstoppable World No, 1, needed only 34 minutes to beat Line Kjaersfeldt of Denmark 21-8, 21-9, forcing PV Sindhu and Akane Yamaguchi to rush to Court 1. 

Right from the word go, Sindhu looked dominant and took her chances against Yamaguchi, who was struggling to move. 

Towards the end of the first game, it became apparent that Yamaguchi was struggling with an injury. 

She did not think twice before retiring midway through the match. Yamaguchi, the World No., 3, doesn't want the risk of aggravating the injury at the start of the season.

It all worked out well for Sindhu, who will get some a big boost in points. She is not defending any points at Malaysia Open, which she skipped last year. 

That's all. Akane Yamaguchi walks up to the chair umpire and tells she can't continue. There was an issue with her right knee.

PV Sindhu spent only 11 minutes on the court and she is now into the semi-final. 

PV Sindhu wins the opening game 21-11 in just 11 minutes. 

And.. the match is over.

Akane Yamaguchi withdraws due to an injury. 

PV Sindhu is racing ahead. This has been a flawless show. And we are hearing there is a problem for Yamaguchi with her right knee.

She has struggled to move freely across the court. In fact, she has tried to stay at one place and use her variety to decieve SIndhu. It's not been working. 

Good news! The braoadcast has now been listed. 

It's 11-5 in the opening game as PV Sindhu takes a huge lead in the mid-game interval.

Wearing her white shirt, the Indian shuttler has been ruthless. 

Sindhu is moving as freely as ever. The speed around the court has been her biggest strength. 

Quite a few are wondering why there is no broadcast of the match in India. JioHotstar, the broadcast partner, doesn't seem to have the match listed. 

This is frustrating for badminton fans in India. 

PV Sindhu is off to a sensational start, again! 

After she dispatched Tomoko Miyazaki, the eighth seed, in just 33 minutes yesterday, Sindhu has raced to a 10-4 lead in the opening game of the quarterfinals. 

PV Sindhu and Akane Yamaguchi have met 26 times on the tour. Sindhu leads the head-to-head 14-12. 

However, Sindhu hasn't won their last three meetings. 

The Indian shuttler's last win against Sindhu came in May 2022. 

PV Sindhu, unseeded in the season-opening tournament, will take on third seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan. The Indian shuttler faces a stiff test, but she has showcased fine form in Kuala Lumpur this week.

Can Sindhu make it to the semi-final of the season-opening Super 1000 tournament?