Malaysia Open 2024 Day 5 Results: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty secure thrilling victory to enter the finals
The penultimate day of the Malaysia Open Super 1000 witnessed a cracking set of semifinal matches at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, January 13.
India's only remaining shuttlers in the tournament were the world no. 2 duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. They got the better of Korea’s Seo Seung Jae and Kang Min Hyuk in the highly anticipated men’s doubles encounter.
This victory ensured that the Asian Games gold medalists entered their second final in two tournaments.
A closer look at Satwik and Chirag’s semifinals at the Malaysia Open Super 1000 tournament
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty took on the world No. 3 pair of Seo Seung Jae and Kang Min Hyuk from Korea in the semifinal.
The first set began with the Indian duo establishing an early 5-0 lead, which they maintained throughout the set. Just before the mid-game interval, the Koreans made a comeback, almost leveling the scores at 9-8. But Satwik and Chirag increased the pace of the rallies, playing some incredible attacking strokes to secure three consecutive points and build a lead once again. They ultimately clinched the set 21–18.
The second set witnessed a challenge from the Korean champions. After an initial deadlock at 3-3, the Koreans surged ahead with a five-point lead, maintaining their dominance until reaching game point.
Despite being six-game points down at 14-20, Satwik and Chirag maintained their composure. They did the unthinkable by not only saving the six-game points but also taking eight straight points to take the match.
The Indian pair orchestrated one of the most remarkable comebacks world badminton has seen in recent times. They almost achieved a similar feat at the China Masters last year.
The match witnessed some powerful smashes from Satwik, which were complimented by Chirag’s flick serves and brilliant anticipation at the net. The final scoreboard read 21-18, 22-20 in favor of the Indians.
Satwik and Chirag will now take on the world no. 1 pair from China, Liang W. K. and Wang Chang, in the Malaysia Open 2024 final. They previously faced them at the final of the China Masters last month, where the Chinese pair emerged victorious in a gripping three-set battle.
If Satwik and Chirag manage to win the Malaysia Open, it will be their second Super 1000 title (the first one being the Indonesian Open last year). Coincidentally, they beat Korea's Seo Seung Jae and Kang Min Hyuk in the semifinal, on their way to their first Super 1000 title too.