PremiumBWF Malaysia Open 2024: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty make history, 1st Indian pair to enter final
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have achieved a feat never accomplished by any Indian player in the Open era since the inception of the Malaysia Open in 1983.
Last Updated: 05.30 PM, Jan 13, 2024
In a historic victory, the Indian duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty triumphed over Korean champions Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae in the men's doubles semi-finals of the Malaysia Open Badminton 2024.
This achievement marks them as the first Indians to advance to the final of this prestigious tournament, a feat never accomplished by any Indian player in the Open era since the inception of the Malaysia Open in 1983.
The Indian pair claimed the first game with a score of 21-18, showcasing a strong start. Despite encountering a few errors and a service fault for height, they managed to maintain their momentum.
In the second game, the Koreans took the lead, reaching 20 points. However, the Indian duo displayed resilience, securing six consecutive points. With an extraordinary flat exchange, they levelled the score at 20-20 and went on to win the match in two straight games. Overcoming a 14-20 deficit, the Indian pair emerged triumphant with a final score of 22-20. Following the winning point, they were seen celebrating with dance and smiles.
Online users also commended the men's doubles team for bringing pride to India.
Before the game, the Indian duo was already considered to have the upper hand against the Koreans, having won three out of four previous clashes. Each of the four matches against the Koreans had been closely contested.
In the quarterfinals on Thursday, the Indian duo convincingly defeated China’s World No. 32 pairing of He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu with a score of 21-11, 21-8.
In the quarter-finals, Rankireddy and Shetty, who hold the second spot in the global badminton rankings, secured victory against the 32nd-ranked Chinese pair with a commanding scoreline in just 35 minutes.