Satwik-Chirag storm into Malaysia Open 2025 semi-finals

Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia], January 10 (ANI): Indian Men's Doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, have advanced to the semi-finals of the Malaysia Open 2025, a prestigious BWF World Tour Super 1000 event. The duo defeated Malaysia's Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi in straight games, 26-24, 21-15, showcasing their composure and dominance on court.
Reflecting on their performance, they said, "Great start to the year, we couldn't have started on a better note. We want to go as deep in the tournament as possible," as quoted from Badminton Association of India (BAI).
In the semi-finals, Satwik-Chirag will face South Korea's formidable duo, Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae, in a high-stakes clash.
In the first game, the Indian pair was on the brink of victory at 19-16 before the Malaysians mounted a comeback, levelling the score at 19-19 and taking a 21-20 lead. However, Chirag and Satwik held their nerve, saving four game points and eventually clinching the win.
The Malaysian duo responded strongly in the second game, leading by three points at the mid-game interval. But Chirag and Satwik rallied to level the score at 11-11 and built a narrow 16-14 lead. From there, the Indians won five of the next six points to seal their sixth win over Ong and Teo.
Earlier in the tournament, Chirag and Satwik defeated Malaysia's Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong in straight games during the round of 16, following a hard-fought three-game victory over Lu Ming-che and Tang Kai-wei of Chinese Taipei in their opening match.
Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy registered a 21-10, 16-21, 21-5 victory against Chinese Taipei's Tang Kai-Wei and Lu Ming-che in their round of 32 opener.
The seventh-seeded Indian duo will now face the unseeded yet formidable South Korean pair of Kim Won-ho, the Paris 2024 mixed doubles silver medallist, and Seo Seung-jae, the reigning world champion in men's and mixed doubles.
Meanwhile, other Indian Olympians had a disappointing run in the Malaysia Open. Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy were eliminated in the earlier rounds, while two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu opted to skip the tournament.
The Malaysia Open, part of the prestigious BWF Super 1000 series, will conclude on Sunday. (ANI)