‘Great start to 2025’

Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy during their win yesterday. Pic/Badminton Photo

Star Indian men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the semi-finals of the Malaysia Open with a gritty victory here on Friday.

The seventh-seeded Indians battled for 49 minutes to secure a 26-24, 21-15 win over the Malaysian duo of Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo in the quarter-finals of the prestigious Super 1000 tournament.

Satwik and Chirag, runners-up in the previous edition, will face South Korea's Won Ho Kim and Seung Jae Seo in the semi-finals today.

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The opening game was a nail-biter, with both pairs keeping the contest evenly poised. The Indians held a narrow 11-9 lead at the interval and extended it to 18-16, but the Malaysians rallied, earning three consecutive points to level at 19-19 and even snatched a 20-19 lead.

Undeterred, Satwik and Chirag displayed remarkable composure, saving four consecutive game points before closing the first game 26-24.

In the second game, the Malaysian pair started strong, but Satwik and Chirag staged an incredible comeback to seal the match. Reflecting on their performance, Chirag said, "Great start to the year, we couldn't have started on a better note. We want to go as deep in the tournament as possible."

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