Satwik-Chirag advance into Malaysia Open semi-finals

Kuala Lumpur: The dynamic Indian combo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, in a display of badminton prowess, easily defeated Ren Xiang Yu and He Ji Ting of China on Friday to advance to the Malaysia Open semi-finals.

The second-ranked Indian duo demonstrated their supremacy on the court with a decisive 21-11, 21-8 victory in just 35 minutes. They are well-known for their outstanding record and six titles from the previous year, including a gold medal from the Asian Games.

From the outset, Satwik and Chirag asserted their control, surging to a 7-0 lead in the first game. Their aggressive play and strategic net presence left their Chinese opponents, ranked 32nd in the world, struggling to find their rhythm. The Indians continued their relentless assault, securing an 11-2 lead at the interval.

The second game mirrored the first, with Satwik and Chirag maintaining their dominance and extending their lead to 11-4 at the interval. The synergy between the Indian shuttlers was evident, blending speed, precision, and tactical acumen to keep their opponents at bay. The Chinese pair found it challenging to counter the relentless attacks and strategic play of Satwik and Chirag. The match concluded with the Indian duo earning a dozen match points, and they secured their victory at the second opportunity.

With this impressive win, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advance to the semi-finals, where they await the outcome of the match between Korea's Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae and the third-seeded Malaysian pair of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.

However, on the women's side, India's Ashwani Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto faced a setback, bowing out in the quarterfinals after a 15-21, 13-21 loss to Japan’s Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi.

With inputs from IANS