Indian men’s doubles stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are on fire as they progress into the Malaysia Open Super 1000 tournament semifinals. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo of Malaysia in a straightforward match with straight games victory of 26-24, 21-15, in the 49 minutes played out quarterfinal encounter. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have become the third Indian team to progress to the Malaysia Open Super 1000 tournament semifinals for three consecutive years.
First Game:
The first game was a very closely fought one. Satwik and Chirag were up at some point, but the Malaysian pair, buoyed up by the home crowd, responded well to take it to an extra points score at 24-24, when the Indian duo maintained their poise and won the game 26-24 after a heart-stopping 28-minute tussle.
Second Game:
The Malaysian pair dominated the second game from the onset, taking it early. 11-11 was the score at the midpoint. From that point, Satwik and Chirag started playing with much more strength and found rhythm in a succession of powerful smashes and deceptively soft drops. The latter half of the game became theirs, and they won 13 of the next 17 points to take the match 21-15 and reach the semifinals.
Semifinal Challenge
Indian duo now face the challenge in semifinals against South Korea’s Won Ho Kim and Seung Jae Seo. The South Korean pair would test them, but Satwik and Chirag have been excellent and look forward to continue with their good work.
Review of Their Performance
Satwik and Chirag were content with their performance and said, “Great start to the year, we couldn’t have started on a better note. We want to go as deep in the tournament as possible.” Their strong start bodes well for their ambitions in the tournament.
India’s Performance in the Malaysia Open
Satwik and Chirag are the only remaining men’s doubles pair from India in the tournament. Many other top Indian singles players have been knocked out early from the competition- among them are Lakshya Sen, H.S. Prannoy, and Priyanshu Rajawat, besides several women’s singles players including Malvika Bansod and Akarshi Kashyap. However, Satwik and Chirag have survived and reached this stage for Indian badminton in the current tournament.
For Satwik and Chirag, the Malaysia Open is important, and it’s the right platform for them to continue the kind of performance that they’ve had in recent times. The duo’s consistency and rising to the situation make them big contenders in men’s doubles. Their semifinal would be the turning point for winning a first title at this coveted Super 1000 event.