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India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty continued their impressive performance by advancing to the men's doubles quarterfinals in the Malaysia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament on January 11, Thursday. However, Kidambi Srikanth was unable to progress beyond the second round. Satwik and Chirag, ranked World No. 2, maintained their excellent form from 2023, where they secured six titles. They defeated France's Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar, ranked World No. 36, with a score of 21-11, 21-18, setting up a quarterfinal clash against China's He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu, who are ranked World No. 32.
Unfortunately, Srikanth struggled with errors and lost in the second round, falling to Hong Kong's Ng Ka Long Angus with a score of 13-21, 17-21.
Satwik and Chirag, the gold medalists at the Asian Games, displayed an aggressive style of play, taking an impressive 11-2 lead at the break in the opening game. Although the French pair mounted a comeback and reduced the deficit to 12-14, the Indian duo regained control and secured the opening game by winning the remaining seven consecutive points.
However, the Indian pair was unprepared for what followed, as Corvee and Labar displayed an exceptional performance, racing to an 11-4 lead during the interval.
Despite trailing 4-11, Satwik and Chirag managed to level the score at 16-16, showcasing their remarkable resilience once again.
As the French opponents made some errors, the advantage shifted in favor of the Indians. Labar capitalized on a weak return to stay in contention. Chirag executed a deceptive shot, followed by a fast-paced exchange, which awarded India three match points. They missed one opportunity but secured the victory when Labar's serve found the net.
Earlier, Srikanth, who is ranked 24th in the world, found himself at a disadvantage due to a series of unforced errors and misjudgments on the line. His opponent, the 20th-ranked Ng Ka Long from Hong Kong, appeared to be in excellent form during their 38-minute encounter. Srikanth initially had a promising start, taking a 6-1 lead. However, his inconsistency in executing shots became evident as Ng Ka Long responded with six consecutive points, turning the tide of the match.
Despite having lost to the Indian in their two previous encounters, Ng Ka Long gained confidence and seized control with another six-point surge, causing Srikanth to struggle.
In the second game, Srikanth attempted to take the initiative and briefly held an 11-10 advantage with a well-executed jump cross-court smash. Nevertheless, Ng Ka Long, who had a strong track record against Indian players, swiftly regained control, leading 14-12 as Srikanth failed to reach a shot during a rally. Srikanth attempted to prolong the rallies, but Ng Ka Long showcased exceptional retrieval skills and delicate touches. Consequently, Ng Ka Long extended his lead to 17-12.
Srikanth managed to gather a few quick points as Ng Ka Long made several unforced errors, narrowing the deficit to 16-18. However, Ng Ka Long's well-timed backhand flick saved him as he defended against a smash from Srikanth and then hit a shot to the backline that the Indian couldn't reach. Srikanth subsequently hit the net, concluding his challenging match.
(With inputs from PTI, powered by AI)
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