India Open 2025: Satwik-Chirag Fall in SF; Chochuwong, Axelsen Rally to Finals

New Delhi, Jan 19 (NationPress) The Indian campaign at the India Open 2025 concluded as the men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty faced defeat against the world’s second-ranked pair Nur Izzuddin and Goh Sze Fei from Malaysia in the semifinals of the World Tour Super 750 event held at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall on Saturday.

The Indian pair, making a noteworthy return to the BWF circuit after Satwik's injury, began strongly against the Malaysians but struggled to adapt to their opponents' strategy towards the end of both games, ultimately losing 21-18, 21-14 in just 37 minutes.

Now, the third seeds will compete against Malaysia Open champions Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae from Korea, who triumphed over fifth seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia with scores of 22-20, 21-19.

On Sunday, Olympic champion An Se Young from South Korea will challenge Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong in the women’s singles final, while last year's runners-up Lee Cheuk Yiu from Hong Kong will strive for victory against Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in the men’s singles final.

Lee secured his spot by defeating China’s Weng Hong Yang 13-21, 21-10, 21-16, while Axelsen showcased resilience by overcoming Indonesia’s Jonathan Christie 17-21, 21-14, 21-15 in a match that lasted over an hour.

The French pair of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue will seek their first Super 750 title against second seeds Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin from China in the mixed doubles final. The women’s doubles final will feature eighth seeds Kim Hye Jeong and Kong Hee Yong from South Korea against Japan’s Arisa Igarashi and Ayako Sakuramoto.

The KD Jadhav Indoor Hall was filled to capacity, anticipating another strong performance from Satwik and Chirag. The world’s ninth-ranked duo, who had recently reached the semifinals of the Malaysia Open Super 1000, started strong, leading 15-12 in the opening game. However, Goh and Izzuddin began to pressure the home favorites at the net, leading to errors.

After clinching seven consecutive points, a smash error from Satwik handed the Malaysians the first game.

In the second game, the Indians lost eight of the first ten points but quickly rallied with five consecutive points. Nevertheless, Goh and Izzuddin swiftly capitalized on the Indians’ serve, scoring several quick points and preventing the 2022 Asian Games gold medalists from recovering with their powerful smashes.

Earlier in the women’s singles semifinal, Pornpawee Chocuwong staged a comeback to defeat Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki 11-21, 24-22, 21-19, while top seed An Se Young faced a tough battle to win 21-19, 21-16.

Chochuwong appeared to be on the brink of defeat, trailing 14-19 in the second game after losing the first. However, she persevered, retrieving every attack from Miyazaki to close the gap. She saved three match points, forcing errors from the Japanese player in lengthy rallies to push the match to a decider.

In the final game, the Thai player remained calm and composed, which proved decisive in a match that lasted an hour and 13 minutes.

Results:

Men’s singles:

Lee Cheuk Yiu (Hkg) bt Weng Hong Yang (Chn) 13-21, 21-10, 21-16; Viktor Axelsen (Den) bt Jonathan Christie (Ina) 17-21, 21-14, 21-14

Men’s doubles:

Kim Won Ho/Seo Seung Jae (Kor) bt Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik (Mas) 22-20, 21-19; Nur Izzuddin/Goh Sze Fei (Mas) bt Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (Ind) 21-18, 21-14

Women’s singles:

Pornpawee Chochuwong (Tha) bt Tomoka Miyazaki (Jpn) 11-21, 24-22, 21-19; An Se Young (Kor) bt Gregoria Mariska Tunjung 21-19, 21-16

Women’s doubles:

Kim Hye Jeong/ Kong Hee Yong (Kor) bt Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan (Mas) 21-18, 21-18; Arisa Igarashi/ Ayako Sakuramoto (Jpn) bt Li Yi Jing/Luo Xu Min (Chn) 18-21, 21-13, 21-17

Mixed doubles:

Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue (Fra) bt Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei (Mas) 21-17, 21-15; Jiang Zhen Bang/ Wei Ya Xin (Chn) bt Goh Soon Haut/Lai Shevon Jemie (Mas) 18-21, 21-19, 21-9