Top seeds Rankireddy and Shetty reach semifinals at Thailand Open

Top seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the semifinals of the Thailand Open in Bangkok on Friday after beating Japan’s Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami in straight games, setting up a last-four clash with either Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin or Scotland’s Christopher and Matthew Grimley.

Rankireddy and Shetty, ranked World No. 4, won 21-12, 21-13 in 41 minutes in their first meeting with the sixth-seeded Japanese pair. The Indians started strongly in the opening game, building a 10-point lead before Nomura and Shimogami managed to get on the scoreboard. After the mid-game interval in the second game, the Japanese pair improved and reduced the deficit to four points, but Rankireddy and Shetty maintained their control to close out the match without allowing a comeback.

The victory marked a significant milestone for the pair, reaching the last four of a BWF World Tour event for the first time in 2026. They will now compete for a spot in the final, with the semifinal opponent to be decided later. Rankireddy and Shetty are also chasing a return to the title circuit, having last won the same tournament in 2024, and are aiming for their first title...