Badminton News: Braving the intense cold in the capital, those who managed to attend the Badminton India Open on Saturday evening left the Jadhav Stadium after 11 p.m. following heartwarming performances by Indian badminton stars Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy.

The world No. 2 pair put in a fighting performance against Malaysian fourth seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who had lost eight in a row heading into their next two matches. Winning two matches in a row 21-18 and 21-14 made it a hat-trick of victories.

This will be the second final in eight days for the Indian representative after becoming runner-up in the prestigious Malaysia Open World Tour Super 1000 season-opening tournament last week.

After host stalwart HS Prannoy's disappointing 21-15, 21-5 loss to Chinese world number 2 Shi Yuqi, Chirag/Satwik's victory was a welcome relief for the crowd.

They bounced back from 10-13 down in the second game to win the last six points shortly after a Chirag strike hit Aaron Chia in the eye.

Earlier, Prannoy's collapse in the second match of the 42-minute competition allowed Shi Yuqi to advance to the final against unseeded Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong, beating the Japanese second seed Kodai Naraoka in an 84-minute marathon.

Shi Yuqi, finalist at the Malaysian Open last Sunday, clearly displayed a better range of shots. His defense stood firm at key moments as he looked to finish off points with smashes, drops and jabs.

On the other hand, Prannoy appears more flamboyant. He relies on his jump-smash and half-smash to provoke his opponents into defending. He was sometimes fooled at the net, but he thought his skillful dribbling would earn him points at the net where Indian players made many mistakes.

Article Tag: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Indian Open 2024