Chirag-Satwik enter China Open semi-finals with straight-games win
The Indian pair delivered a dominant performance at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, taking the match 21-18, 21-14 in just 40 minutes. This marks their fourth semi-final appearance of the season, following strong runs at the India, Singapore, and Malaysia Opens, a BAI release said.
After a sharp start in the first game, Satwik and Chirag held off a late Malaysian surge to clinch it 21-18. In the second, they pulled away from a tight 15-14 lead with six unanswered points to seal the win.
They now face a high-stakes clash against world No. 2 Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia, the same pair that ousted them in the Paris 2024 Olympic quarter-finals.
Young Indian shuttler Unnati Hooda's campaign in the ongoing China Open came to an end with a defeat to world number four and former world champion Akane Yamaguchi in the quarterfinals.
During the final eight clash, Unnati went down to Akane by 16-21, 12-21. Playing in her very first BWF Super 1000 event, the young 17-year-old made headlines with her fearless performances.
According to the release, she became only the fourth Indian women's singles shuttler to ever reach the quarterfinals of a BWF Super 1000 event. Unnati delivered a sensational performance to overcome two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and book her place in the women's singles quarterfinals on Thursday.
The match was a showcase of India's present and future in badminton, with the rising star Hooda taking on the seasoned champion Sindhu. Hooda started strong, claiming the opening game 21-16, but Sindhu struck back in the second, edging it 21-19 in a tense finish. In the decider, Hooda displayed remarkable play, sealing the contest 21-13 to advance to the quarterfinals.
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