New Delhi, Jan 17: Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu’s valiant fight ended in disappointment, but Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lifted the spirits of the Indian camp with a dominant performance as they stormed into the semifinals of the India Open Super 750 badminton tournament on Friday.
Satwik and Chirag, the 2022 champions, pulverised the Korean pair of Jin Yong and Kang Min Hyuk with a barrage of attacking shots, winning 21-10, 21-17 in just 41 minutes.
The victory marked their third consecutive semifinal appearance on the tour, following finishes in the last four at the China Masters and Malaysia Super 1000 last year.
Earlier, Sindhu, a former champion, suffered a 9-21, 21-19, 17-21 loss to Paris bronze medallist Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in a gripping 62-minute women’s singles quarterfinal.
“It is sad that I lost in the third set after fighting so hard, but I think the game is such. I have to obviously come back stronger. At that point, I would say anybody would have lost that point,” Sindhu told reporters.
“There were long rallies. I need to be more consistent and keep the shuttle in the court. In the second and third sets, I was not leaving the drops or half-smashes or cut drops. But in the first game, I wasn’t comfortable and made easy mistakes.”
India’s lone hope in men’s singles, Kiran George, then suffered a 13-21, 19-21 loss to China’s Hong Yang Weng. Nevertheless, his maiden Super 750 quarterfinal finish will give him confidence ahead of upcoming tournaments.
Satwik-Chirag roll on
The match began with a fierce rally, but thereafter it was complete domination from Satwik and Chirag. The Indians kept the rallies short, launching relentless attacks and criss-cross net play to lead 11-3 at the break.
Jin and Kang tried mixing rallies with drops and deep tosses, but the Indians were relentless, zooming to 18-8. Satwik and Chirag soon earned 11 game points with two more smashes. Another thunderbolt from Satwik sealed the first game.
In the second, Jin and Kang initially held a slender 4-3 lead, but it was short-lived. A barrage of attacking shots from the Indians helped them make it 9-4 as they entered the interval with a five-point cushion following Satwik’s down-the-line smash.
The Koreans clawed back to make it 13-15 and won a 37-shot rally to level the score at 16-16.
However, Chirag unleashed a smash to extinguish any hope of a revival, and with a final net error from the Koreans, Satwik and Chirag grabbed three match points before sealing the match at the first opportunity.
Sindhu vs Tunjung
Tunjung dominated early with her delectable drops, racing to an 11-4 lead at the break. Sindhu struggled with her strokes, and the game soon slipped away.
In the second game, the Indonesian grabbed a 6-2 lead after the change of sides, but Sindhu fought back, levelling at 9-9 with Tunjung erring repeatedly. A wide shot from Tunjung gave Sindhu a one-point advantage at the break.
Sindhu’s attacking play, featuring powerful smashes, helped her reach 14-10, but Tunjung fought back, tying the score at 14-14.
A pumped-up Sindhu regained her composure, clinching two game points before Tunjung hit into the net, allowing Sindhu to take the first game 21-19.
In the decider, Tunjung raced to a 10-8 lead, with both players exchanging intense rallies. Sindhu erased the deficit quickly after the break and kept the pressure on her opponent.
Tunjung moved to 17-14, but Sindhu responded, drawing parity with a drop and a net-shot winner.
However, Tunjung secured three match points and, despite Sindhu’s best efforts, sealed the match with a cross-court winner.
Kiran vs Weng
Up against an opponent he had previously defeated, Kiran hoped to replicate his past performance, but Weng proved well-prepared and did not allow the Indian to pose a significant threat. Weng took control early, moving from 7-6 to 11-6 at the break.
Kiran briefly closed the gap to 13-15, but Weng reeled off six consecutive points to take the first game.
In the second, Weng raced to a 6-2 lead and extended it to 10-7, but Kiran fought back to level at 11-11. Two errors from Weng handed Kiran a 16-14 advantage, and the Indian extended his lead with two powerful down-the-line smashes.
However, Weng capitalized on a weak net return from Kiran and hit a fine criss-cross shot to regain the lead at 19-18. The Chinese player earned two match points with a precise smash that kissed the baseline. Kiran stayed alive with a jump smash, but a final shot into the net sealed his defeat, as Weng clinched the match. (PTI)
