Kuala Lumpur, Jan 10: 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.
Playing in front of a partisan crowd at the majestic Stadium Axiata Arena, 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.
“First game was really crucial, we were leading 19-16 then they came back and the crowd supported them,” said Satwik.
“But we knew there will be huge crowd for Malaysia here. We were positive till the end and were taking one point at a time. Really happy the way we played in the crucial part. Hope the crowd support us tomorrow,” he added.
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.
Chirag said they would look to go all the way.
“Definitely, a good start to the year. We couldn’t have started (2025) on a better note. We want to still go as deep in the tournament as possible and let’s hope we do that,” Chirag said.
Terming the venue as one of the best, he said: “As athletes, these are the stadiums you want to play at, you want to play at packed arenas.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better crowd. Obviously, they were supporting the Malaysians as they’re the local pair. As a professional, it’s one of the best stadiums to play at.” (PTI)
