Sindhu, Kiran Exit as Satwik-Chirag Advance to India Open Semifinals
NEW DELHI: In front of an enthusiastic crowd, India’s men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty delivered a stellar performance in their quarterfinal clash at the India Open Super 750 tournament. Facing South Korea’s Yong Jin and Kang Min Hyuk, Satwik and Chirag stormed into the semifinals with a commanding 21-10, 21-17 victory at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium on Friday.
The Korean pair, who had earlier upset top seeds and World No. 1 duo Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark, were no match for the Indians’ near-flawless display. Satwik-Chirag will now face Indonesia’s third-seeded pair, Sze Fei Goh and Nur Izzuddin, in the semifinals.
The match began with an intense rally, but Satwik and Chirag quickly took control, dominating the game with short rallies, powerful smashes, and swift net play. They surged to an 11-3 lead at the interval in the first game and maintained their momentum to close it out at 21-10. The second game saw the Koreans take an early 4-3 lead, but the Indians responded with a flurry of attacking shots, building a 9-4 advantage and entering the break with a five-point cushion. Although the Koreans fought back to level the score at 16-16, Chirag’s decisive smash and a final error from the Koreans secured the match for the Indian pair at the first match point.
“We went all guns blazing right from the start, and that was our plan,” Chirag said after the win. Satwik added, “We stayed positive and believed things would work out.”
Meanwhile, in singles, PV Sindhu and Kiran George faced contrasting defeats in their quarterfinal matches. Two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu lost a nail-biting three-game battle against Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, the fourth seed and Paris bronze medallist. The scoreline read 9-21, 21-19, 17-21. “It’s disappointing to lose after such a close fight. The match could have gone either way,” Sindhu said.
Kiran George also fought valiantly in his match against China’s Hong Yang Weng. The 24-year-old saved a match point in the second game but ultimately went down 13-21, 19-21. Despite the loss, Kiran’s maiden Super 750 quarterfinal appearance is expected to boost his confidence for future tournaments.