India Open Dreams Dashed: Malaysians Outshine Satwik & Chirag in Semifinals

Indian doubles badminton pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, exited the India Open Super 750 in the semifinals after a straight-game defeat to Malaysia's Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin. Despite an initial lead, the Indian duo was unable to maintain their momentum, losing in two games.

Indian badminton duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's India Open campaign concluded in the semifinals following a straight-game loss to Malaysia's Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin on Saturday.

The 2022 defending champions struggled against the Malaysians, falling 18-21, 14-21 in just 37 minutes. After a promising start marked by a mix of offense and defense, the Indians led 6-9 but quickly lost their grip as the Malaysians secured five of the next six points, taking a lead at the break.

Despite regaining some advantage post-intermission, the Malaysians' seven-point streak clinched the first game, and an early second-game lead secured them the match. Despite a valiant effort from Satwik and Chirag, including a service streak from Chirag, the Malaysians maintained dominance, sealing the match with precision play.

(With inputs from agencies.)