Satwik-Chirag advance to Malaysia Open semifinals
The opening game was a nail-biter, with both pairs keeping the contest evenly poised.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (IANS)
KUALA LUMPUR: Star Indian men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the semifinals 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 quarterfinals 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 semifinals.
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, leading for most of the game up to the interval with an 11-8 advantage.
However, Satwik and Chirag staged an incredible comeback, winning 13 of the next 17 points to seal the match and book their third consecutive semifinal berth.