Satwik-Chirag survives another scare, advances to quarterfinal of Hong Kong Open

India’s top men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Open, but not without a scare. On Thursday, September 11, the World No.9 duo rallied from a game down to defeat Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul 18-21, 21-15, 21-11 in an hour and three minutes.

The Thai pair, ranked world No. 42, shocked the Indians by snatching the opening game 21-18 with sharp net play and stubborn defense. However, the reigning Asian Games gold medalists regrouped quickly, tightening their attack and dictating the pace in the second game.

In the decider, Satwik’s thunderous smashes and Chirag’s lightning reflexes at the net left the Thais with no answers as the Indians stormed to a dominant finish.

Satwik and Chirag will now face Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap in the quarterfinals. The Malaysian duo booked their spot with a 21-17, 21-19 win over Choong Hon Jian and Muhammad Haikal in their Round of 16 clash.

Satwik and Chirag were made to work hard in their Hong Kong Open opener. Fresh from their bronze medal at the 2024 World Championships in Paris, they battled past Taiwan’s Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin 21-13, 18-21, 21-10 on Wednesday, September 10, in the BWF Super 500 event.

The Indians began in commanding fashion, with Chirag dominating at the net and Satwik unleashing his trademark smashes to cruise through the first game. However, the momentum swung in the second as the Taiwanese tightened their defense, engaged in longer rallies, and capitalized on unforced errors to force a decider.

In the third game, Satwik and Chirag regrouped quickly. They sharpened their shot-making, applied relentless pressure, and took charge of the net exchanges. Building an early lead, they never looked back, closing out the contest with authority to advance despite the second-game setback.