After Lakshya Sen's opponent Kevin Cordon pulled out of Paris Olympics 2024 after an elbow injury, India's doubles men's pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's group stage match has been cancelled. While Sen's game was 'deleted' from record books, Germany's Mark Lamsfuss' withdrawl due to knee injury won't have a similar affect. Rankireddy and Shetty were yet to play the German duo and it will mean that they will play one less match at the group stage.
The Group C match between Rankireddy, Shetty and Marvin Seidel, Lamfuss was scheduled to take place at Court 3 on July 29. Lamfuss' withdrawal means, France's Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar will play one less match as well. The withdrawal has converted Group C to a tussle between three pairs instead of four.
BWF’s statement
"German men's doubles player Mark Lamsfuss has withdrawn from the Olympic Games Paris 2024 badminton competition due to a knee injury."
"Lamsfuss' and teammate Marvin Seidel's remaining Group C matches against India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (Court 3, 8.30am local time, 29 July 2024) and Lucas Corvee/Ronan Labar of France (Court 1, 'Not Before' 2.50pm local time, 30 July 2024) will not be played."
"Matches on these courts in each respective session have been rescheduled."
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"As per BWF General Competition Regulations for group stage play, the results of all matches played, or yet to be played, involving in Group C are now considered deleted," read the statement from BWF.
Earlier, Rankireddy and Shetty beat French duo of Corvee and Labar 21-17, 21-14 in a Group C encounter. They were expected to dominate world number 31 German duo and advance to the next stage.
Tough draw ahead for 'Sat-Chi’
The German player's withdrawal has made their last group stage game against Indonesian pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto a must-win encounter. The Indonesian pair are currently world number seven. The former world number ones have won bronze medals in world championship in 2019 and 2022. India hold the edge with three out of five encounters. Their last clash was at the Korean Open 2023 where the Indian pair prevailed.
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