Hong Kong, September 12 (HS): Continuing their impressive run, India’s top men’s doubles duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the semifinals of the Hong Kong Open Super 500 badminton tournament on Friday.

The eighth-seeded Indian pair, who recently clinched a bronze medal at the BWF World Championships, showcased excellent coordination to defeat the resilient Malaysian duo of Arif Junaidi and Roy King Yap in a thrilling 64-minute contest. The Indians prevailed 21-14, 20-22, 21-16 in the $500,000 event.

Satwik and Chirag started slowly but found rhythm at 12-12 in the first game. From there, their powerful smashes helped them surge ahead, winning five consecutive points and denying their opponents much of a comeback.

The Malaysian pair regrouped in the second game, matching the Indians’ agility and maintaining the lead for most of the match. Although Satwik and Chirag fought back to level at 20-20, Junaidi and Yap edged through to force a decider.

In the final game, however, the Indians tightened their play and never allowed the Malaysians to dominate. They sealed victory with authority to secure their place in the semifinals, where they will face Chen Cheng Kuan and Lin Bing-Wei of Chinese Taipei.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar