BWF World Championships: Satwiksairaj-Chirag march into men's doubles semi-finals
India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty overcame second-seeded Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi in the men's doubles quarter-finals at the BWF World Championships. The Indian pair were involved in an arduous affair with the defending champions before dishing out a 24-22, 15-21, 21-14 win. They are now the first ever Indian men's doubles pair to secure a medal in BWF World Championships. Here's more.
How did the match pan out?
Satwiksairaj-Chirag were off to an 11-5 lead by the first game interval. However, the Japanese pair crawled back to a 20-20 scoreline before the Indians prevailed. In the second game, both teams were tied at 9-9. Hoki-Kobayashi garnered a five-point spurt, and later, another five-point streak to pocket a 21-15 win. Indians were resolute and gained an 11-5 lead before extending a 21-14 win.
Satwisairaj-Chirag to face Malaysia's Chia-Wooi Yik
Satwiksairaj and Chirag will be looking to better their record when they face sixth-seeded Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia in the semi-finals. The Indians have not defeated Chia/Soh in five previous meetings.
Satwiksairaj-Chirag have 18 wins in 2022
The Indian duo enjoys an 18-6 win-loss record on the BWF Tour in 2022, in addition to winning gold at the CWG in men's doubles. They started the year with an enthralling run at the India Open. However, they followed with second-round defeats at the All England Open and the Swiss Open. They exited in the quarter-finals at the Korea Open and Asia Championships.
A look at Satwiksairaj-Chirag's career accolades
The duo of Satwiksairaj-Chirag enjoy a career-high ranking of seven in BWF World Ranking. They are two-time bronze medallists at the Asia Team Championships (2016, 2020). They made peace with silver in men's doubles in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, besides winning gold in the mixed team event. Earlier this year, the pair was crowned winner in the men's team event at the Thomas Cup.
Satwiksairaj-Chirag have pocketed three BWF World Tour titles
Satwiksairaj and Chirag have won three BWF World Tour titles in men's doubles. They emerged winners at the 2018 Hyderabad Open, 2019 Thailand Open, and 2022 India Open. They have concluded as the runner-up on two occasions (2018 Syed Modi International and 2019 French Open). They also hold six titles in BWF International Challenge/Series.
Arjun, Kapila bow out in the men's doubles quarter-finals
In another quarter-final affair, Indian pair MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila suffered an 8-21, 14-21 defeat against Indonesia's Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan. The latter will cross swords with fellow countrymen Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in the semis.
