India’s premier doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (Satwik-Chirag) bowed out of the India Open Super 750 in the semi-finals, suffering a straight-game loss to Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin in New Delhi on Saturday. Satwik and Chirag, the 2022 champions, were outplayed 18-21, 14-21 in just 37 minutes by the world number 3 Malaysian duo, who produced a class act to derail the Indian pair’s game plan.
Satwik-Chirag’s valiant effort semis
The Indian pair started well, mixing attack and defence to take a 9-6 lead. However, the Malaysians seized control by claiming five successive points and went into the break with a one-point lead over the Indian pair. Satwik and Chirag started strong after the resumption, taking a 15-12 lead, but the Malaysians won the first game 21-18 with seven straight points.
In the second game, the Malaysians surged to an early 5-0 lead. Despite a late rally from the Indians, which included a good service streak from Chirag, the Malaysians maintained their lead. Goh read the game well from the front court as the visitors took a 5-0 lead after the change of sides. A lovely return to a flick serve gave the Indians their first points. A jump smash from Satwik narrowed the deficit to 4-8. A well-placed serve and a net duel from the Indian duo reduced the deficit to 7-8.
🚨 Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2025: Satwik-Chirag suffers defeat against World No.2 Nur Izzuddin and Goh Sze Fei (21-18, 21-14) in the Semifinals of Men's Doubles as India's challenge comes to an end.
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Chirag kept serving well, and after a tightly contested rally, the Malaysians took an 11-10 lead before the interval. The tall Indians levelled the score at 13-13, but the Malaysians reclaimed the momentum and built a 17-14 lead after Chirag was warned for delaying. The Malaysians pushed the score to 20-14 with a sensational run of six consecutive points and sealed the match with a perfectly placed serve to the backline.
This marks a second consecutive semi-final finish for Satwik and Chirag this season, following their last eight finish at the Malaysia Open Super 1000 in Kuala Lumpur last week. Despite the loss, the Indian duo’s performance throughout the tournament was commendable, showcasing their resilience and determination.
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