Badminton: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty Storm Into Final of Singapore Open Super 750 badminton tournament
India's men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, has secured a spot in the final of the Singapore Open Super 750 badminton tournament. The fourth-seeded Indian duo defeated the world's number one South Korean pair, Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae, 21-19 and 21-18 in the semifinal held on Saturday.
In a match that lasted 52 minutes, Satwik and Chirag clinched a 21-19, 21-18 victory. This also marks the Indian pair's first-ever win against Kim and Seo.
Staged a comeback after trailing in the first game
A fierce contest was witnessed between the two pairs right from the start of the match. By the mid-game break of the first game, the Korean pair held a 13-11 lead. However, Satwik and Chirag displayed exceptional play under pressure. They strung together consecutive points, staged a comeback, and claimed the first game 21-19.
In the second game as well, Satwik and Chirag were trailing 11-14. They once again fought back to win the second game 21-18, thereby sealing the match in their favor. In both games, the Indian pair staged a comeback to secure victory after initially trailing.
Second semifinal on Sunday
The Indian pair will now face the winner of the second semifinal on Sunday. The second semifinal will be contested between the Indonesian pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, and the Chinese pair of Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang.
Disappointment for India in Mixed Doubles
India faced disappointment in the mixed doubles category. The pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto was knocked out of the tournament after losing in the semifinals. The Indian pair suffered a 16-21, 21-17, 13-21 defeat against Japan's Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara. In this three-game contest, Dhruv and Tanisha staged a comeback in the second game, but the Japanese pair prevailed in the final game.