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Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost in the Singapore Open Super 750 men’s doubles semifinals to Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in a tight three-game match.
Satwik-Chirag have exited from the semifinals of the Singapore Open (Picture credit: Badminton Photo)
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s strong performance at the Singapore Open Super 750 concluded in the men’s doubles semifinals, where the Indian pair fought hard but ultimately lost to Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in a tight three-game match on Saturday.
The former world number one Indian duo failed to capitalize on their initial game win and, despite saving seven match points, were defeated 21-19, 10-21, 18-21 in a highly intense 64-minute encounter.
Facing the same opponents who had ended their Paris Olympic journey, the Indian pair—currently ranked world number 27 after various health and fitness issues—showed their prowess by winning the first game. However, they struggled with the drift in the second game and couldn’t recover after losing a significant lead in the decider.
This marked their third semifinal appearance of the year, including the semifinals at the India Open and Malaysia Open earlier.
Despite their loss, the last-standing Indian contenders of the week demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination.
They entered the match with a 3-9 head-to-head record against the Malaysians but had won their last three meetings, including the Asian Games semifinal and the Indonesia Open final. However, their most recent encounter had ended in a defeat during the Olympic quarterfinals.
The match began nervously for both pairs, with points mainly coming from minor errors, resulting in an early 6-6 tie.
The Indians unleashed a series of smashes, with Aaron Chia making sharp interceptions, yet the exchanges between the two sides remained minimal.
A powerful smash from Chirag leveled the score at 8-8 before errors from the Malaysians and a precise return from Satwik gave the Indians a three-point lead at the mid-game interval.
Despite a few wide hits from both Satwik and Chirag, they served well and maintained a 15-12 lead.
Aaron and Soh narrowed the gap to 14-15, but Aaron’s netted return allowed the Indians to regain control.
Chirag sent one long, but a strong smash from Satwik restored their 17-15 edge.
A forehand error from Chirag allowed the Malaysians to tie the score at 18-all.
Soh then hit one long and followed with a net smash, giving India two game points.
The Malaysians saved one, but Aaron’s net error handed the Indians the first game.
The Malaysians responded with a strong start in the second game, quickly leading 5-0.
Satwik and Chirag managed to win a 32-shot rally to get on the board, but struggled with tricky conditions, making several soft errors and misjudgments.
Despite a rare service error from Soh, Aaron’s sharp return pushed the Malaysians ahead 10-3.
Chirag’s net error gave the Malaysians a 13-7 lead at the interval.
A backhand shot from Chirag hit Soh’s face, but the Malaysians continued to dominate, advancing to 14-7.
Miscommunication and unforced errors further plagued the Indian pair, with Satwik sending a serve long and Chirag driving one into the net.
The drift worsened matters, with another shuttle landing well inside the baseline, giving the Malaysians 10 game points.
They converted on the first opportunity, forcing a decider.
In the final game, the Indians trailed 1-2 early on before winning a grueling 42-shot rally with powerful smashes.
The pairs exchanged leads with tight serves and intense exchanges.
Chirag showed variety with a forehand return and a defensive overhead push, but the Malaysians opened an 8-6 lead after an Indian error.
Avoiding lifts to the Indian attackers, Soh targeted Chirag’s body with a cross-court return to extend their lead to four points at the final mid-game interval.
The Indians attempted a comeback with a few attacking rallies, but errors persisted as they trailed 9-14, facing a tough challenge.
The Malaysians remained relentless, moving closer to victory at 18-12 after a couple of Indian errors.
Aaron and Soh earned nine match points, but nerves set in as the Indians saved seven.
Ultimately, Soh secured the win on the eighth opportunity, sealing the match and ensuring a third consecutive final appearance for the Malaysian pair.
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A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you live updates, breaking news, opinions and photos from the wide world of sport. Follow @News18Sports
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