Satwik and Chirag reach Indonesia Open quarters with thrilling comeback win
India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, entered the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 with a hard-fought comeback win on Thursday. However, PV Sindhu crashed out in the second round after losing a tough three-game match in Jakarta.Satwik and Chirag, the 2023 champions in Jakarta, showcased steely nerves and sharp execution in the closing stages of a 68-minute battle to edge past world No. 16 Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard of Denmark 16-21, 21-18, 22-20. The Indian duo, who reached the Singapore Open Super 750 semifinals last week, remain the only Indian challengers left in the draw.advertisementThe world No. 3 pair will now face Malaysian seventh seeds Man Wei Chong and Kai Wun Tee for a place in the semifinals.
Returning from injury, Satwik and Chirag were put under pressure early by the aggressive Danish combination, who controlled the net and dictated the pace in the opening game. Although the Indians showed resilience by rallying from 6-10 down to level the score at 10-all, the Danish pair held their nerve and regained control to take the opening game.The second game saw a tighter contest, with Satwik and Chirag pushing the play deep and forcing errors. At 14-all, the Indians surged ahead with five consecutive points and held on to force a decider.The third game was a test of nerves. The Indians shot off to a 5-1 lead, but Kjaer and Sogaard rallied back with sharp interceptions to level at 8-all. It remained neck-and-neck till the end, with the Danes earning a match point at 20-19. But Chirag's aggressive return drew parity, and a brilliant serve followed by Satwik's sharp placement on match point sealed the win - prompting a fist pump and a roar from the Indian camp.advertisementEarlier in the day, PV Sindhu's bid for a deep run ended in disappointment. The two-time Olympic medallist squandered a 15-11 lead in the decider to go down 22-20, 10-21, 18-21 against Thailand's world No. 8 Pornpawee Chochuwong in a marathon 78-minute encounter.Sindhu had clawed back from 10-16 in the opening game to snatch it 22-20, but Chochuwong dictated terms in the second. In the final game, Sindhu looked in control and led 15-11, only to falter at the finish line with a series of mistimed smashes and unforced errors."I think I should have converted it to a win," Sindhu said after the loss. "I was leading 16-13 in the third set but the conditions were faster, and I had to control a lot more. From there, she took the lead It was anybody's game at 18-all. But overall, I'm happy with my performance. A lot to learn from this match and prepare for the next one."Sathish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath lost 7-21, 12-21 in just 25 minutes by Thai sixth seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran in mixed doubles. Women's doubles pair Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly showed promise but fell short against Japan's Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto, losing 13-21, 22-24 in 46 minutes.With only Satwik and Chirag flying the Indian flag in Jakarta now, all eyes will be on the men's doubles pair as they chase a second Indonesia Open title.Must Watch
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