The BWF World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark, saw a splendid performance from India's star badminton duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty who stormed into the third round of the tournament. In an electrifying game, they stormed past the Australian pair, Kenneth Choo and Ming Lim, in just half an hour, registering a decisive victory of 21-16, 21-9. This dominant win has now set the stage for a third-round face-off with Indonesia's formidable 10th seeds, Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin. Interestingly, in their previous encounter at the 2023 Japan Open, Rankireddy and Shetty came out on top.
From the beginning, the Indian pair showcased sheer dominance. Racing to a 7-3 lead, the game saw minimal elongated rallies, highlighting the duo's superiority. Maintaining their lead post-break, the game's momentum stayed with Satwik and Chirag, culminating in a return on the backline to seal the first game. The second game followed a similar script with the Indian pair again asserting their dominance, ultimately sealing the match when their Australian opponents missed a return serve.
Meanwhile, in the women's singles, the world number 19 Indian duo, Gayatri and Treesa, renowned for reaching the All England Championships semifinals twice, clinched a win over the 37th ranked pair, Chang and Yang. After a competitive match, the scoreboard read 21-18, 21-10 in favor of the Indians, lasting 38 minutes.
Starting with a bye in the first round, Gayatri and Treesa's next challenge will be the top-seeded Chinese pair, Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan. Although they started trailing 2-5 early in the match, smart gameplay and a strategic approach of extending rallies saw them turning the tide. Post-interval, their exemplary play continued, with Treesa and Gayatri maintaining their lead despite minor hiccups. The momentum persisted, with the Indian duo leading 14-8 post-resumption. Errors from their opponents combined with their consistency gave them 10 match points, which they capitalized on, sealing their spot in the pre-quarterfinals.
This promising performance from the Indian shuttlers augurs well for the country's prospects in the ongoing BWF World Championships.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
'What's all this': Ex-India captain brutally slams Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee for picking KL Rahul in 2023 Asia Cup squad
Sohail Khan torments Robin Uthappa's team with four consecutive wickets, Misbah and Carter smash four sixes in last over to seal epic finish
