Paris 2024 Olympics: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty triumph in opening group stage match
In an exciting opening group stage match at the Paris 2024 Olympics, the World No. 3 badminton pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated the duo of Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar from France in a straight sets victory.
The first set saw Satwik and Chirag displaying their dominance early on. The Indian pair’s precise strokes saw them effortlessly maneuvering the French pair across the court, helping them take an early lead.
The second half of the first set saw some incredible flat exchanges between the two pairs, and despite a late surge from Corvee and Labar, Satwik and Chirag managed to close out the thrilling first set with a score of 21-17.
The second set began with both pairs engaged in intense rallies, and a neck-and-neck battle saw the score tightly contested up to the halfway break, with the Indians leading narrowly by 11-8.
After the break, Satwik and Chirag found their rhythm and accelerated forward to take a commanding 16-10 lead. The next few points saw some fabulous net exchanges, most of which the Indian pair won convincingly. Satwik and Chirag eventually closed the game and match with a final score of 21-14, securing a significant win in their opening group stage encounter.
Next up, the Indian duo will face Germany’s Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel in their second group stage match, scheduled for July 29 at 12:00 pm IST.
Lakshya Sen starts campaign with a bang, Tanisha-Ashwini in action later at the Paris Olympics 2024
Earlier in the day, Indian men’s singles shuttler Lakshya Sen secured a thrilling straight-game victory over Kevin Cordon, a semifinalist from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Sen dominated the opening game, winning 21-8. The second game saw Cordon stage a comeback, but Sen's resilience shone through as he saved four match points and clinched the set 22-20, securing his win.
India’s women’s doubles pair, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa are set to face South Korea’s Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong in their first group stage match of the Paris Olympics 2024.