Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty delivered an exceptional performance on January 17 at the India Open Super 750 badminton tournament, storming into the semifinals with a dominant 21-10, 21-17 victory over the Korean pair of Jin Yong and Kang Min Hyuk. The Indian duo played aggressively from the outset, using powerful attacking shots to take an 11-3 lead at the first interval in the first game. Despite a strong attempt from the Koreans to shift their tactics, Satwik and Chirag maintained their control and won the first game comfortably. In the second game, the Koreans briefly leveled the score at 16-16, but the Indian pair held their composure and secured three match points to seal the win in just 41 minutes.
This win marks Satwik and Chirag's third consecutive semifinal appearance in the ongoing tour, having previously reached the semis at the China Masters and Malaysia Super 1000 in 2024. They will face the Malaysian pair of Sze Fei Goh and Nur Izzuddin in the last four.
Chirag praised their attacking play, stating that they wanted to capitalize on their opponents' potential weaknesses, and noted that despite a close second game, they were always in control and stayed positive. Satwik echoed his partner's sentiment, maintaining that they remained calm and focused, believing in their abilities to win point by point.
However, it was a tough day for other Indian players. Kiran George and PV Sindhu both crashed out of the tournament after losses in their respective quarterfinal matches. Kiran lost 13-21, 19-21 to China's Hong Yang Weng, while Sindhu was defeated by Paris Games medallist Gregoria Tunjung.
In the men's singles, Viktor Axelsen, the Paris Olympics champion, triumphed in a tough battle against former world champion Loh Kean Yew, winning 21-19, 13-21, 21-8.
