Satwik-Chirag duo sails into French Open final

PARIS: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty progressed to the men’s doubles final of the French Open Super 750 with a commanding straight-game victory over the Korea pair of Choi Sol Gyu and Kim Won Ho here on Saturday.

The World No.8 India combination dished out an attacking game and also controlled the net to outwit the Korea duo, ranked 18th, 21-18, 21-14 in the semi-final that lasted 45 minutes. Up against opponents whom they have never played before, Chirag was relentless at the front court while Satwiksairaj unleashed his booming smashes from the back as the Indians put on a clinical show at Stade Pierre de Coubertin.

The India combine came up with an all-out attack and was up 2-0 early. The Koreans managed to claw back at 7-7, but the Indians ensured they had a four-point (11-7) lead at the mid-game interval. The Korea duo dictated play for a brief period to move 16-13 ahead, only for the India pair to establish a one-point advantage at 19-18.

After earning two game points, Chirag sealed the opener with a precise smash. At the start of the second game, both pairs exchanged blows as the scorecard read 3-3. But, the Indians moved 7-4 ahead and then held a two-point (11-9) cushion at the break.

Satwiksairaj and Chirag continued to dominate the last-four contest as the India duo led 18-12. After securing six match points, the Indians sealed victory on the first attempt when Chirag delivered a superb smash.