CHENNAI : Shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have come a long way over the years. The top men’s doubles pair have made a habit of going deep into major tournaments. That has been the case in the ongoing French Open. On Friday, the Indian duo asserted their class to dispatch Thai pair of Supak Jomkoh and Kittinupong Kedren. With this latest hit, they are now two steps away from the Super 750 title.
The duo took just 42 minutes for a 21-19, 21-13 victory. They closed out the match with ease towards the death but the Indian duo had endured a tricky start. The World No 32 Thai shuttlers were sharp from the word go and they were winning the early exchanges. While the Indians were still getting used to the pace of the game, the Thai pair had swiftly built a 11-6 lead going into the first break. That’s when Satwik and Chirag showed their resilience. Despite being behind, they didn’t panic and gradually closed the gap. As the Indians continued to play with more purpose, they had cut out the deficit and the score read 12-12. After that it was a close tussle with both pairs trading points.
The Indians have been moulded after countless high-pressure ties over the years. That abundant experience was visible as they closed out the game (21-19).
As it was during the business end of the opening game, the second essay was also a tight affair at the start. But the gap between the two pairs was visible as the game wore on. In the end, the Indians coasted to win with ease.
Earlier, PV Sindhu lost a hard-fought battle (24-22, 17-21, 18-21) against China’s Chen Yu Fei, the reigning Olympic champ in the women’s singles. It will go down as a loss in Sindhu’s rich CV, but the fight she put up is a big morale-booster for the two-time Olympic medallist and India. Sindhu, who recently returned to action following an injury break, will be chuffed after her run (two credible wins and day’s effort) in Paris.
Later, Lakshya Sen came from behind to outwit former world champion Loh Kean Yew 19-21, 21-15, 21-13. The Indian will now take on Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who’s the No 8 seed, in the men’s singles semifinals.