Devika Sihag Stuns Riko Gunji At US Open, Rounak Chouhan's Dream Run Continues

Published 27 June 2026 · sports

Devika Sihag Stuns Riko Gunji At US Open, Rounak Chouhan's Dream Run Continues Published By, Last Updated: June 27, 2026, 09:10 IST Devika Sihag reaches

Devika Sihag Stuns Riko Gunji At US Open, Rounak Chouhan's Dream Run Continues Published By, Last Updated: June 27, 2026, 09:10 IST Devika Sihag reaches US Open semifinals with upset over Riko Gunji, joined by Rounak Chouhan and Kidambi Srikanth after thrilling quarterfinal victories. Rapid Read Devika Sihag is now in the semifinals of US Open (Picture credit: Badminton Photo) Azerbaijan International champion Devika Sihag, who has been seeded sixth at the ongoing US Open, on Friday beat third seed Riko Gunji to move into the semifinals of the tournament, in what was a commendable performance from the 21-year-old. Coming into the match with a hard-fought win over Thailand’s Tonrung Saeheng, Devika was the underdog in the clash against Gunji.

The Japanese shuttler, who was a quarterfinalist at the Swiss Open earlier this year, did manage to push Devika to the brink, but the Indian bagged a 22-20, 21-19 win to qualify for the semifinals. Devika will take on the second seed, Danish shuttler Line Christophersen, on Saturday, June 27. This will be the first meeting between the two. Christophersen will enter the semifinals after defeating India’s Tanvi Sharma 21-16, 11-21, 21-11. Rakshita Santhosh Ramraj went down 21-15, 16-21, 12-21 to Canada’s Rachel Chan. Meanwhile, Rounak Chouhan, who came into the quarters with a big win over top seed Chou Tien Chen, beat Israel’s Misha Zilberman 23-21, 21-11, to set up a clash against eighth-seed Su Li Yang.

Rounak kept the pressure on the more experienced Chou Tien-chen right from the outset. Although Chou held a slender 17-15 lead in the opening game, Rounak produced a brilliant si point burst to reel off the final six points and snatch the game. Chou Tien-chen dominated for much of the second game and looked all set to force a decider after opening up a commanding 17-11 lead. But Rounak mounted another brilliant comeback, reeling off six successive points to draw level before completing the turnaround. It was a neck-and-neck battle thereafter as Chouhan saved four game points before converting his second match point to clinch the win in 49 minutes. Meanwhile, fifth seed Kidambi Srikanth, fresh from a brilliant victory over Lee Zii Jia, booked his place in the semifinals with a 21-9, 12-21, 21-8 win against Liao Jhuo-Fu.

Srikanth will next face fourth seed Yudai Okimoto for a place in the final. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: June 27, 2026, 09:10 IST News sports badminton Devika Sihag Stuns Riko Gunji At US Open, Rounak Chouhan's Dream Run Continues Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...