Singapore Open: Satwik-Chirag stun world no. 1 Seo-Kim to enter final

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty produced a stirring comeback to upset World No. 1 pair Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae and reach their maiden men's doubles final at the Singapore Open Super 750 on Saturday.

The fourth-seeded Indian duo defeated the reigning world champions 21-19, 21-18 in a hard-fought semi-final that lasted 52 minutes, securing their first-ever victory over the South Korean pair.

Satwik and Chirag were made to work hard throughout the contest. The Koreans held a slender 13-11 advantage at the mid-game interval of the opening game, but the Indians stayed in touch and raised their level in the closing stages to turn the game around and take a crucial one-game lead.

The second game proved equally challenging. Satwik and Chirag found themselves trailing 11-14 after the interval as Seo and Kim threatened to force a decider. However, the Indians responded with a composed display, winning key rallies and capitalising on crucial opportunities to wrest back control of the contest.

Maintaining their composure under pressure, Satwik and Chirag closed out the match 21-18 to complete a memorable victory and become the first Indian men's doubles pair to reach the final of the Singapore Open.

The Indian pair will now face the winner of the other semi-final between Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and China's Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in Sunday's title clash.

Earlier in the day, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto bowed out in the mixed doubles semi-finals after suffering a 16-21, 21-17, 13-21 defeat to Japan's Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara. The Indian pair fought back to take the second game but could not sustain the momentum in the decider, ending their impressive run in the tournament.