Indian badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to their second consecutive semifinal with a commanding straight-sets victory over China's Ren Xiang Yu and He Ji Ting at the Malaysia Open Super 1000 tournament on Friday, January 12. The duo, ranked second in the world and Asian Games gold medalists from last year, dominated the rallies and showed excellent net play. They secured a decisive 21-11, 21-8 win over the world no. 32 Chinese pair in a mere 35 minutes.
The second-seeded Indian pair is set to compete against either Korea's Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae or the third-seeded Malaysian team of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
In the women's doubles quarterfinals, Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto faced a setback, losing 15-21, 13-21 to Japan's Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi.
The Indian pair, ranked 24th in the world, who made headlines by defeating the former world no. 1 and two-time world champions Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara on Thursday, couldn't replicate that performance against Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi. They lost 15-21, 13-21 in a 39-minute match.
This defeat marks the Indian duo's second loss to the world no. 15 Japanese pair, following a close defeat in the finals of the Syed Modi International Super 300 in Lucknow last month.
Ponnappa and Crasto previously triumphed at the Guwahati Masters Super 100 and made it to the finals in two other tournaments in Lucknow and Odisha last month.
Satwik and Chirag, who had an outstanding 2023 season with six titles, displayed near-perfect gameplay, showcasing speed in their exchanges. They added pace to the rallies and varied their tactics, leading to a dominant performance.
The Chinese duo, who had previously engaged in a closely contested straight-game match against the Indians at the China Masters last year, appeared overwhelmed as Satwik and Chirag showcased an exceptional performance to take command of the opening game.
The Indian pair quickly gained a 7-0 lead, forcing Yu and Ting into a position of trying to catch up. Satwik and Chirag extended their lead to 11-2 at the interval and efficiently wrapped up the first game.
Continuing their strong performance in the second game, they led 11-4 at the break. Chirag's return eventually set up 12 match points for the Indians, and they capitalized on their second opportunity to secure the victory.
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