theTripurapost News Images

India’s Campaign Ends at Malaysia Open 2026

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, Kuala Lumpur
  • Jan 10, 2026
  • 19

India’s challenge at the BWF Super 1000 Malaysia Open 2026 came to a close on Saturday after two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu suffered a straight-game defeat in the women’s singles semifinals, while the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bowed out in the quarterfinals.

Sindhu was outplayed by world No. 2 Wang Ziyi of China in the semifinals, losing 16-21, 15-21 in a contest that lasted just under an hour. Despite taking early leads in both games, the Indian shuttler was unable to sustain momentum during the decisive phases, allowing Wang to seize control with greater consistency and tactical precision.

In the opening game, Sindhu surged ahead by a narrow margin but committed a series of unforced errors after building a three to four-point lead, enabling Wang Ziyi to claw back and close out the game. The second game followed a similar pattern, with Sindhu opting for higher lifts on the backhand side—an area Wang exploited effectively with relentless smashes to seal the match.

Sindhu’s semifinal appearance had been secured earlier after Japan’s third seed Akane Yamaguchi retired injured during their quarterfinal encounter. Sindhu dominated the opening game 21-11 in just 11 minutes before Yamaguchi withdrew due to a knee injury, handing the Indian shuttler a place in the last four.

In the Round of 16, Sindhu had delivered a commanding performance against eighth-seeded Tomoka Miyazaki of Japan, cruising to a 21-8, 21-13 victory in just 33 minutes.

India’s men’s doubles hopes were dashed when top-ranked pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty went down to sixth-seeded Indonesians Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in the quarterfinals. The Indian duo had earlier impressed in the pre-quarterfinals, defeating Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap 21-18, 21-11 in 39 minutes.

India’s singles campaign had already ended earlier in the tournament, with Lakshya Sen and young Ayush Shetty exiting in the pre-quarterfinals. Indian pairs in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles categories were eliminated in the opening round.

With Sindhu’s semifinal finish and the men’s doubles quarterfinal exit, India’s journey at the Malaysia Open 2026 concluded without a podium finish, marking an early end to the country’s campaign in one of the season’s premier Super 1000 events.