Malaysia Open 2025: Satwik-Chirag Eliminate in Semifinals as India's Journey Concludes
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Kuala Lumpur, Jan 11 (NationPress) The leading men's doubles team from India, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, were eliminated from the Malaysia Open BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournament after suffering a loss to a South Korean pair in the semifinals on Saturday. The Indian duo fell to Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae from South Korea, with scores of 10-21, 15-21 in consecutive games lasting just 40 minutes. This defeat marked the end of India's participation in the first Super 1000 event of the year, which boasts a prize pool of USD 1,450,000. Notably, Satwik-Chirag had been the runners-up in the previous edition of this tournament.
The Indian pair struggled initially, trailing 6-11 in the first game. The Korean team took full advantage of their momentum, clinching the first game at 21-10 in a mere 19 minutes. The seventh-seeded Indians managed to rally in the second game, leading 11-8 at the halfway mark. However, their lead was fleeting as they ultimately succumbed to a score of 15-21, concluding their three-match winning streak in the competition.
On Friday, the Indian duo had triumphed over Malaysia’s Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo in straight games, winning 26-24, 21-15 in a quarterfinal match that lasted 49 minutes.
“We had observed their performance earlier in the tournament and felt prepared. However, they played exceptionally well today, and we deviated from our game plan. While it’s disappointing, it’s also a valuable learning experience for us. We can gain a lot from analyzing their game, as they performed admirably,” expressed Chirag Shetty post-match.
“We are disappointed, but there’s a long road ahead. Overall, it was a good experience for us. Regarding our strategy, we started with soft touches, attempting to push them back, but there was a significant shift in the second game,” he added.
Prior to this, other Indian badminton stars, including Lakshya Sen, H.S. Prannoy, Priyanshu Rajawat, Malvika Bansod, Akarshi Kashyap, Anupama Upadhyay, and the Commonwealth Games bronze medal-winning duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, were eliminated in the early rounds of the tournament.
The pair of Satwik-Chirag, who are gold medallists at the Asian and Commonwealth Games, are set to compete in the India Open, commencing on January 14, where they will face Malaysia’s Wei Chong Man and Kai Wun Tee in the round of 32.
As former World No.1 in men's doubles, they have previously secured a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships and aim to clinch their first title of the season on home soil.
