Malaysia’s rising men’s doubles pair Kang Khai Xing-Aaron Tai saw their impressive run at the Singapore Open 2026 come to an end in the quarter-finals after a hard-fought defeat to India’s world-class combination Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty on Friday.
The world No. 27 Malaysian duo pushed the tournament’s fourth seeds all the way before eventually falling 21-19, 17-21, 13-21 in a thrilling 65-minute contest at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Khai Xing-Aaron entered the match with confidence and composure, matching the experienced Indian pair in fast-paced rallies from the opening exchanges. Their aggressive attacking play and sharp court coverage allowed them to steal the first game 21-19 in a statement performance.
However, Satwiksairaj-Chirag, widely regarded as one of the world’s elite men’s doubles pairs, responded strongly in the second set by tightening their defence and increasing the intensity of their attack to level the match with a 21-17 victory.
The momentum then shifted fully in favour of the Indian duo in the deciding set as they controlled the pace early and maintained their dominance throughout before sealing the win 21-13 to advance into the semi-finals.
The victory also served as redemption for the Indian pair, who had previously suffered a surprise defeat against Khai Xing-Aaron at the All England Open 2026 in March.
Despite missing out on a place in the last four, the Malaysian youngsters can leave Singapore with heads held high after producing one of the breakthrough performances of the tournament.
Earlier in the competition, Khai Xing-Aaron created a major upset by knocking out Indonesia’s world No. 7 pair Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani in the second round.
That memorable victory propelled the Malaysian pair into the quarter-finals of a Super 750 event for the first time in their careers, underlining their growing reputation as one of the nation’s brightest young doubles prospects.
Credit Photo : SBA
