india badminton

India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, front and Chirag Shetty in action (AP Photo) NEW DELHI: India’s leading men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, faced a disappointing exit from the Indonesia Open Super 1000 tournament after their quarterfinal defeat to Malaysia’s Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun on Friday. The previously world No. 1 Indian combination, who were the champions in 2023, succumbed to a 19-21, 16-21 loss in a 43-minute encounter against the aggressive Malaysian duo, who secured their first victory over the Indians in their fifth meeting.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The exit of Satwik-Chirag marked the end of India’s participation in the tournament. The Indian pair appeared to be struggling with their service and returns, as they were outplayed by the Malaysian duo, who had claimed victories at both the Malaysia Masters last month and Indonesia Masters in January.The Indians displayed poor defensive organisation and anticipation, frequently finding themselves in difficult positions as the Malaysians forced them into errors throughout the match.Satwik committed net errors, allowing the Malaysians to take an early lead, which they maintained until the mid-game interval. Despite equalising at 11-all through aggressive exchanges, the Indians failed to capitalise on their opportunities, allowing the Malaysians to establish a lead. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy The second game saw the Indians start poorly, trailing 3-7, as the Malaysians effectively used flat shots and court conditions to extend their lead.Although the Indians showed resilience and brought themselves closer at 16-18, Man’s excellent net play and Tee’s decisive shot at 20-16 secured four match points for the Malaysians, which they promptly converted to advance to the semifinals.