Can Satwik-Chirag Reach the Semifinals at the Singapore Open?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Satwik and Chirag advance to the quarterfinals after a comeback victory.
- HS Prannoy and PV Sindhu experience early exits.
- The mixed doubles team also faced defeat.
- Support for Indian players is vital as they navigate challenges.
- Upcoming matches will be crucial for the remaining Indian contingent.
Singapore, May 29 (NationPress) The Indian men's doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Singapore Open, a prestigious BWF Super 750 badminton tournament, while HS Prannoy and PV Sindhu faced early exits in the round of 16 on Thursday.
Satwik and Chirag staged a comeback after losing the first game, defeating Indonesia's Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Muhammad Reza Pahlevi Isfahani with scores of 19-21, 21-16, 21-18 in a thrilling match lasting one hour and 14 minutes.
The duo will now compete against the world No. 1 Malaysian pair of Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin for a spot in the semifinals.
In men's singles, HS Prannoy experienced a straight-game defeat against French player Christo Popov, losing 16-21, 14-21 in a match that lasted 42 minutes.
In the women's singles, double Olympic medalist Sindhu also exited in the second round after a loss to China's Chen Yu Fei, with scores of 9-21, 21-18, 16-21.
The mixed doubles team of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde also faced elimination in the round of 16, falling to the second-seeded Hong Kong pair of Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet by scores of 10-21, 16-21.
Later today, Tressa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand will compete in the women's doubles.
Earlier in the women's singles, both Aakarshi Kashyap and Unnati Hooda were unable to progress past the first round. Aakarshi lost to world No. 4 Han Yue with scores of 21-17, 13-21, 7-21 in a 58-minute match, while Unnati fell to world No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi with scores of 21-13, 9-21, 15-21.
Anupama Upadhyaya was also eliminated after losing 12-21, 16-21 to Sung Shuo Yun of Chinese Taipei, while the women's doubles pair of Vaishnavi Khadkekar and Alisha Khan were defeated 8-21, 9-21 by Australia's Gronya Somerville and Angela Yu.
In men's singles, India's top-ranked player Lakshya Sen had to withdraw during his opening match. Sen started strong against Chinese Taipei's Lin Chun-Yi, winning the first game 21-15. However, Lin rebounded to take the second game 21-17. In the deciding game, Sen experienced lower back pain and retired while trailing 5-13.