Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty of India have moved into the second round of the India Open Super 750 men's doubles. Ranked second globally, the pair displayed great resilience in a challenging match against Chinese Taipei's Fang-Chih and Fang-Jen Lee, ultimately winning 21-15, 19-21, 21-16.
Indian shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the second round of the men’s doubles at the India Open Super 750 on Wednesday. The dynamic pair, ranked No.2 in the World rankings, demonstrated their skill and resilience in a hard-fought match against Fang-Chih Lee and Fang-Jen Lee of Chinese Taipei, clinching a 21-15, 19-21, 21-16 victory.
Coming into the tournament as runners-up from last week's Malaysia Super 1000, Satwik and Chirag looked in top form early on, taking the first game convincingly. The second game saw a reversal of fortune, with the Taiwanese duo establishing a commanding 11-5 lead by the break. Although the Asian Games gold medalists fought back to narrow the gap to 18-19, their opponents held on to push the match to a third set. Satwik and Chirag then regained dominance through powerful attacking play to win the decider. Their next challenge is a Round of 16 clash against Yang Po-Han and Lu Ching-Yao today, January 18.
Meanwhile, senior Indian player Kidambi Srikanth was eliminated early following an inconsistent outing, losing in two straight sets to Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong. It was a mixed bag for Srikanth, who paired stunning shots with costly unforced errors, eventually falling 22-24, 13-21 to the world No. 18. Srikanth actually started the first game with strong momentum, utilizing excellent backcourt play to stay ahead, but Lee fought back to level the score at 17-17 before grabbing three crucial game points.
Even though Srikanth managed to force a 20-20 tie and briefly took the lead, a pivotal mistake—a shot sent wide—gave Lee the opening he needed to close the game with a precise drop shot. The second game was even more difficult for Srikanth, who found himself trailing 2-11 at the mid-game break. He attempted a comeback to reach 6-12, but the early deficit was simply too large to overcome, resulting in a straight-sets defeat to the 27-year-old Lee.
Reflecting on the match, Srikanth admitted that unforced errors have been a recurring issue and noted that he is actively working to fix them. He explained that his style is aggressive rather than cautious, as he prefers to play for the point. He expressed hope for better results in upcoming tournaments, adding that while he is mindful of Parupalli Kashyap's situation, his own focus is on the Olympics. Srikanth emphasized that he doesn't just want to qualify for the Games; he wants to enter the competition as a genuine contender for a medal.