Indian Duo Advances to Final
India’s men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, have secured their spot in the final of the China Masters in Shenzhen. The fourth-seeded Indian duo overcame a challenge from Malaysia’s Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong in a three-game semifinal match. The final score was 21-15, 18-21, 21-11, marking their second consecutive appearance in the tournament’s final.
The victory also establishes Satwik and Chirag as only the second pair in the history of the tournament to reach three or more finals. Their journey to the final included a hard-fought quarterfinal match against Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, where they won 21-13, 16-21, 21-18 in a 70-minute contest.
In the semifinal against the Malaysian pair, Satwik and Chirag initially fell behind 0-5 in the first game but quickly recovered, scoring seven consecutive points to take a 7-5 lead. Unforced errors from Nur further helped the Indian pair establish a 10-6 advantage, eventually leading 11-9 at the interval. Satwik’s angled smashes proved effective, extending their lead from 15-12 to 17-12. A notable 54-shot rally occurred at 18-15, which the Indians ultimately won, leading to them converting their second game point to secure the first game.
Semifinal and Quarterfinal Performances
The second game saw the Malaysians maintain composure from an 18-18 tie, pushing the match to a decider. In the third game, Satwik and Chirag quickly established a 9-3 lead, with Chirag effectively finding gaps and limiting the Malaysians’ space. They held an 11-4 lead at the interval and continued to dominate, with Satwik’s smash making it 13-6 as Malaysian resistance waned.
Chirag expressed satisfaction with their performance, stating that reaching finals in their second tournament after a break felt positive. Satwik added that their pattern throughout the week involved winning the first game, losing the second, and then coming back to win the third, noting that Shenzhen has been a favourable location for them.
Earlier in the tournament, in the quarterfinals, Satwik and Chirag started strong against Astrup and Rasmussen, taking a 5-1 lead and maintaining an attacking rhythm to secure the first game. The Danish pair increased their intensity in the second game, eventually forcing a decider. The third game was closely contested, with the score tied at 17-17 before the Indian duo scored three crucial points to reach 20-17, ultimately sealing their spot in the semifinals.
Srikanth’s Campaign Ends
Meanwhile, in the men’s singles quarterfinals, veteran Kidambi Srikanth‘s campaign at the China Masters Super 750 concluded. The former world No. 1 was defeated in straight games by Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu. Srikanth, 33, lost 16-21, 16-21 in a 39-minute match.
Srikanth had shown strong form in the previous round, defeating Canada’s Victor Lai 21-18, 21-19. However, against Lee Cheuk, he found himself trailing for much of the match. Despite a brisk start in the first game, taking a 3-0 lead, Lee Cheuk quickly levelled and then surged ahead to 14-6. In the second game, Srikanth again started well with a 4-0 lead, but Lee Cheuk equalized at 4-4, and the game remained tight until 15-15. Lee Cheuk then secured three points to lead 18-15 and closed out the match.
Lee Cheuk Yiu, 30, will now face France’s Christo Popov in the semifinals.
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Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Rahul Sharma is a news editor at Latest News, covering national headlines, politics and the stories shaping India and the world.
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