Latest news with #Satwiksairaj-Chirag
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Revenge for Aaron-Wooi Yik, regret for world No. 1 Sze Fei-Izzuddin
KUALA LUMPUR: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik exacted sweet revenge on compatriots Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun to book a spot in the Singapore Open semi-finals on Friday. The world No. 3, beaten by Wei Chong-Kai Wun in last week's Malaysia Masters final, needed just 33 minutes to settle the score with a 22-20, 21-17 win in the quarter-finals. However, hopes of an all-Malaysian semi-final were dashed after world No. 1 Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani suffered a shock 21-17, 21-15 defeat to India's world No. 27 and reigning Asian Games champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty. Aaron-Wooi Yik are now the last Malaysians standing and will face the Indian pair for a place in Sunday's final. It will be their fourth consecutive semi-final, having won the Badminton Asia Championships last month and the Thailand Open two weeks ago. "We're more mature now, and we've improved, but there's still room for growth," said Wooi Yik. "We know Wei Chong-Kai Wun well, so it was about executing better today, and we did." Aaron credited their resurgence to the guidance of national coach Herry IP. "Herry has been excellent for us. It's still a work in progress, but we're hoping for more," said Aaron. "The first game was crucial. We were lucky to take it, and after that, we stayed calm and composed." Aaron-Wooi Yik will start as favourites against Satwiksairaj-Chirag, having won nine of their 12 meetings, including their last clash at the Paris Olympics last year. "Satwiksairaj-Chirag haven't played much since Paris due to injuries, so we're not sure about their current form," said Wooi Yik. "But we'll give it our best and see how it goes." Meanwhile, women's doubles hopes ended after world No. 4 Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah fell 14-21, 24-22, 21-14 to China's world No. 11 Jia Yi Fan-Zheng Shu Xian in the quarter-finals.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Current Malaysian world No. 1 pair face India's former world No. 1 in blockbuster
KUALA LUMPUR: Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani are riding high on confidence, but they know the hard work is far from over. The newly crowned world No. 1 men's doubles are bracing for a blockbuster quarter-final clash at the Singapore Open against India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, in what promises to be a riveting battle between the present and former holders of the top spot. Sze Fei-Izzuddin marched into the last eight in commanding fashion on Thursday, brushing aside former national teammates Wan Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King 21-13, 21-11 to continue their perfect run this week without dropping a game. Satwiksairaj-Chirag had to dig deep to advance after a gritty 19-21, 21-16, 21-19 victory over Indonesia's world No. 8 Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani. Despite their dominant start in Singapore, Izzuddin felt they are far from their peak. "Everything else we can still do much better," said Izzuddin. "We're happy to be winning, but there's still plenty of room for improvement." They'll need to find another gear on Friday, given their head-to-head record against Satwiksairaj-Chirag, having won just twice in eight meetings. However, the Malaysians did win their most recent encounter in the semi-finals of the India Open earlier this year, a result they'll be eager to repeat. Their opponents are no pushovers. Satwiksairaj-Chirag, now ranked world No. 7, are former world No. 1 who made history as India's first men's shuttlers to reach the top of the rankings following their landmark gold medal triumph at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in October 2023. Although a string of injuries since the Paris Olympics hampered their consistency, the Indian duo, coached by former Malaysian international Tan Kim Her, have still managed to rack up strong results. These include semi-final finishes at the China Masters last November, as well as both the Malaysia Open and India Open earlier this year. They may have relinquished the No. 1 ranking for now, but with a combined 18 weeks at the summit, Satwiksairaj-Chirag remain one of the most formidable pairs on the World Tour.
The Star
22-04-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Satwiksairaj-Chirag's absence leaves India with uphill task
PETALING JAYA: India have been dealt a huge blow ahead of the Sudirman Cup after top men's doubles shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty withdrew from the team meet due to illness. Former world No. 1 pair Satwiksairaj-Chirag have struggled with injuries since the Paris Olympics last August and their withdrawal from the team meet is yet another setback for them. The duo, who are currently ranked No. 11, played an important role in helping India clinch a historic Thomas Cup crown in 2022 and their absence is a blow to their team's chances of progressing far in the Sudirman Cup which starts on Sunday in Xiamen, China. In Satwiksairaj-Chirag's absence, India only have inexperienced pair A. Hariharan-R. Ruban Kumar in the men's doubles as the Badminton Association of India (BAI) have opted against naming a replacement. No go: India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty are down with illness. The talismanic pair's withdrawal leaves India facing an uphill task to survive Group D which also includes Indonesia, Denmark and England. Only the top two teams will progress to the last eight. Earlier, India also lost the services of top women's doubles pair Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand who pulled out due to injury. Youngsters Shruthi Mishra-Priya Konjengbam face a tough battle to fill the void left behind by world No. 10 Treesa-Gayatri. India will be relying heavily on experienced stars Lakshya Sen, H. S. Prannoy (men's singles) and P. V. Sindhu (women's singles) for the points. World No. 17 mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto will also be hoping to pull off a few upsets. India were knocked out of the group stage in the last three editions (2019, 2021 and 2023) and last made it into the quarter-finals in 2017 where they lost to China.
