PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen Reach Singapore Open Quarters

A dominant display by Indian shuttlers marked Thursday's action at the Singapore Open. PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, and the mixed doubles duo of Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila all progressed to the quarterfinals, setting up an exciting weekend of competition. Sindhu looked sharp and composed against Riko Gunji, wrapping up a straight-sets victory 21-9, 21-12 in 37 minutes. She controlled rallies with ease and never allowed the Japanese player to settle. Fresh from defeating a top seed in the previous round, she now prepares for a stern challenge against world number one An Se-young. In men's doubles, Satwik and Chirag recovered from a mid-match slump to defeat Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan 21-15, 11-21, 21-18. After losing the second game convincingly, the Indians steadied themselves in the decider and held their nerve to secure a hard-fought win. Their next opponents will be Malaysia's Aaron Tai and Kang Khai Xing. Tanisha and Dhruv staged a remarkable turnaround in mixed doubles. After dropping the first game 8-21, they mounted an aggressive comeback to win 21-17, 21-16 against Maya Taguchi and Yuta Watanabe. Their improved net control and defensive organisation proved decisive. Lakshya Sen's quarterfinal berth came via a walkover after Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn retired early. The Olympic silver medallist will now meet Japan's Koki Watanabe, hoping to extend India's strong run at the tournament.