Satwik-Chirag make history, reach final in Malaysia Open

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty staged an impressive comeback to secure a 21-18, 22-20 victory against Korea’s Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae, advancing to the men’s doubles final in the Malaysia Open Badminton.

Satwik and Chirag were the standout Indian players in the previous year, securing victories in prestigious events such as the Asian Games, Asian Championship, Indonesian Super 1000, Korea Super 500, and Swiss Open Super 300. The Indian duo, ranked second globally, made a stunning comeback in the second game, saving six game points and securing a thrilling 21-18, 22-20 victory over their Korean rivals in the semifinals.

Satwik and Chirag are now on the brink of their second Super 1000 title, having won the first at the Indonesian Open in June last year. Notably, they had beaten the same Korean pair in the semifinals last June, giving them a 3-1 head-to-head record against the world no. 3 duo, Seo and Kang.

In a thrilling men’s doubles semifinal at the Malaysia Open Badminton, Indian shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty demonstrated remarkable resilience by overcoming an 11-18 deficit in the second game. Their impressive comeback resulted in a 21-18, 22-20 victory against Korea’s Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae. This triumph not only secured their spot in the final but also marked a historic achievement as the duo became the first Indians in any discipline to reach the Malaysia Open final in the Open Era (since 1983).

In the quarterfinals, Rankireddy and Shetty had displayed dominant form by defeating China’s World No. 32 pairing of He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu with a convincing score of 21-11, 21-8 on Thursday.

Having won three out of four clashes against the Korean opponents, the Indian pair enjoys a slight advantage. However, their previous encounters have been closely contested, and the current World No. 3 pair is expected to put up a strong fight, ensuring that the final will be a competitive and thrilling match for badminton enthusiasts.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 😍😍

First Indians to enter Malaysia Open final, well done boys! 👏

📸: @badmintonphoto #MalaysiaOpen2024 #IndiaontheRise #Badminton pic.twitter.com/TDJZSbN9WT
— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) January 13, 2024