Latest news with #Satwik
Indian Express
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Indonesia Open: Satwik-Chirag survive litany of errors, clutch up in end game to reach last eight
It is perhaps Abhinav Bindra's favourite mantra – 'seeking perfection on an imperfect day.' It's the sort of match where their Indian coaches in Hyderabad won't hesitate to call the level of their errors throughout the match 'rubbish' to Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's faces – before gushing about how the denouement wound up being 'bloody brilliant'. Chirag himself spoke of the pair 'playing stupid', before a Satwik service at 19-20 ended up being 'phenomenal' and how his own serve was 'quite good' at 20-20 in the decider, after an hour of nightmarish serves from them. Coach Tan Kim Her even told them at some point that 'it's OK if you lose.' They never looked like winning, until they did. Out of these far-from-ideal moments in a 68-minute cliffhanger, full of landslides, hatched out a 16-21, 21-18, 22-20 win that put the Indians into the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 – one of the four biggest Tour events in badminton. As Satwik-Chirag beat Danish Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard, who had evicted World No 3 Aaron-Wooi in the previous round, some jarring notes were hit, before the last 3 minutes of the game suddenly turned magical. It was bad badminton all-round, but none more wincing for those watching that the two Indians clanged their racquets twice, going for the same shuttle in shuddering moments of confusion. Chirag was faulted on his serve multiple times; Satwik's service was plain pulped and smothered by Kjaer-Sogaard, and that wasn't even the worst of the sorry statistics. The Danes deployed tumble serves freely and fiendishly, and were under strict orders to inflict maximum damage on the Indians via a known vulnerability – Satwik-Chirag's tentative return of serves that has blighted their past two seasons. The Indian attack, which is always so cohesive, lacked any sting and was drowning in scratchy shot-making and cacophonous exchanges. Chirag was mighty cagey at the net initially, and Satwik a tad unsure of whether to fill in on the front court or control from the back. All this meant, the Danes, unusually upbeat and bouncy, led through the first set, and took it on a canter. At the change of ends, the Indian nerves settled. And though they remained mismatched in their tempo and prone to errors with their tame lifts, the basic serve and receiving in the first three shots got calmer. Chirag – as it happens so often – forgot about trying to make his net-job seem perfect and precise, and allowed his instinct to rule as he started getting in winners, freeing up Satwik to send his pushes and curling lifts to scatter the Danes. They went from 14-14 to 19-14 in a jiffy with smarter interceptions, and pushed the decider. The racquets clashing at 8-8, a Kjaer flick serve looping over them and shoddy high lifts made them look like a pair that was World No 22. But of course, at a cellular, fundamental level, these are World No 1s, with an ability to win in their sinewy muscle memory. So the match rumbled on to 19-19. It was here that Satwik went for broke with a risky flat drive serve that no analyst might find a precedent off against his name. 'Maybe it was game awareness,' he told BWF. 'No one in the stadium will expect me to do a flat service. I never practice those. I told Chirag, OK, I want to try. Because nobody will expect it. For sure, even if they watch videos, they won't find me shooting it. They will find Chirag shooting it. I don't have the feeling of doing a short serve and catching the next one… so I just tried,' he mused. Chirag errors always are followed by 3 winners he takes it upon himself to compensate with. The last rally was scrappy, but Satwik scooped one that fell on the sideline at the back. In the quarters, they play the Malaysians Man-Tee. Satwik accepted the win was scrappy. 'Today we were not at our best…we only gave away points…15-20 points. They didn't do anything. We made mistakes. I felt we were not focussed enough. We were not there today. But we kept on believing in one point at a time. Coach kept telling us to calm down. Relax. He said it's OK if you lose also. We said let's play our game. See how it goes. That's why I pointed to the coach (after the win) to indicate, yes, we listened to you.'
New Indian Express
05-06-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Sindhu loses in Indonesia Open, Satwik-Chirag enter quarterfinals
JAKARTA: India's top men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarterfinals while two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu lost in the women's singles second round at the Indonesia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament here on Thursday. Satwik and Chirag, the 2023 champions, showed great temperament under pressure to register a hard-fought 16-21, 21-18, 22-20 win over world number 16 Danish pair of Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard in a 68-minute second-round clash. Satwik and Chirag, who had reached the semifinals of the Singapore Open Super 750 last week, thus remained the only surviving Indians in the competition. The former world number one pair will face Malaysian seventh seeds Man Wei Chong and Kai Wun Tee next. "Today felt like one of those days where we just weren't at our best," Satwik said. "It wasn't about the strategy being wrong. It was more that we were giving away the points. If you look back, nearly 15 to 20 points came from our own mistakes. They didn't win those points. We handed them over. In the first game, it was 15-all, and then suddenly it slipped to 21-15. I just felt like we weren't focused enough like we weren't really there today. But even then, we kept believing, taking it one point at a time. The coaches kept telling us, 'Calm down, it's okay even if you lose, just relax.' So we tried to stay calm and composed, to just play our game and see how it goes," he added. Earlier, Sindhu faltered in the deciding game to go down to world number 8 Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand in the second round. Sindhu squandered a 15-11 lead in the decider to lose 22-20, 10-21, 18-21 in a gruelling 78-minute battle.
India Today
05-06-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Satwik and Chirag reach Indonesia Open quarters with thrilling comeback win
India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, entered the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 with a hard-fought comeback win on Thursday. However, PV Sindhu crashed out in the second round after losing a tough three-game match in and Chirag, the 2023 champions in Jakarta, showcased steely nerves and sharp execution in the closing stages of a 68-minute battle to edge past world No. 16 Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard of Denmark 16-21, 21-18, 22-20. The Indian duo, who reached the Singapore Open Super 750 semifinals last week, remain the only Indian challengers left in the world No. 3 pair will now face Malaysian seventh seeds Man Wei Chong and Kai Wun Tee for a place in the semifinals. Returning from injury, Satwik and Chirag were put under pressure early by the aggressive Danish combination, who controlled the net and dictated the pace in the opening game. Although the Indians showed resilience by rallying from 6-10 down to level the score at 10-all, the Danish pair held their nerve and regained control to take the opening second game saw a tighter contest, with Satwik and Chirag pushing the play deep and forcing errors. At 14-all, the Indians surged ahead with five consecutive points and held on to force a third game was a test of nerves. The Indians shot off to a 5-1 lead, but Kjaer and Sogaard rallied back with sharp interceptions to level at 8-all. It remained neck-and-neck till the end, with the Danes earning a match point at 20-19. But Chirag's aggressive return drew parity, and a brilliant serve followed by Satwik's sharp placement on match point sealed the win - prompting a fist pump and a roar from the Indian in the day, PV Sindhu's bid for a deep run ended in disappointment. The two-time Olympic medallist squandered a 15-11 lead in the decider to go down 22-20, 10-21, 18-21 against Thailand's world No. 8 Pornpawee Chochuwong in a marathon 78-minute had clawed back from 10-16 in the opening game to snatch it 22-20, but Chochuwong dictated terms in the second. In the final game, Sindhu looked in control and led 15-11, only to falter at the finish line with a series of mistimed smashes and unforced errors."I think I should have converted it to a win," Sindhu said after the loss. "I was leading 16-13 in the third set but the conditions were faster, and I had to control a lot more. From there, she took the lead It was anybody's game at 18-all. But overall, I'm happy with my performance. A lot to learn from this match and prepare for the next one."Sathish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath lost 7-21, 12-21 in just 25 minutes by Thai sixth seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran in mixed doubles. Women's doubles pair Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly showed promise but fell short against Japan's Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto, losing 13-21, 22-24 in 46 only Satwik and Chirag flying the Indian flag in Jakarta now, all eyes will be on the men's doubles pair as they chase a second Indonesia Open Watch
News18
05-06-2025
- Sport
- News18
Satwik-Chirag Survive Massive Scare To Enter Quarters At Indonesia Open, Sindhu Exits
Last Updated: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty overcame a tough Danish duo to reach the Indonesia Open quarterfinals. Star Indian men's doubles shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty survived a huge scare from the Danish duo of Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard as they clinched a 16-21, 21-18, 22-20 in the second round of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 to move into the quarterfinals. Satwik-Chirag, the 2023 winners, showcased great temperament under pressure to register the hard-fought victory over the Danes in a 68-minute-long clash. Satwik-Chirag, who had reached the semis of the Singapore Open last week, before losing to their nemesis Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, remain the sole surviving Indians in Indonesia, after double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu made yet another early exit. Thankfully for Satwik and Chirag, the Danes had already beaten Chia and Soh in the opening round of the tournament. The Indians will next face seventh seeds Man Wei Chong and Kai Wun Tee. Satwik and Chirag hold a 4-0 win-loss record against the Malaysia Masters champions. Satwik-Chirag, playing just their second tournament since returning from injury, had to do the catch-up in the first game, as Kjaer and Sogaard dominated the net play with sharp interceptions. Satwik and Chirag trailed 6-10 at one stage and although they pulled level with four straight points, Kjaer and Sogaard kept themselves ahead to win the first game. The second one was a tight affair, with Satwik and Chirag putting pressure on the backcourt. From 14-all, they bagged five straight points to force a decider. Satwik-Chirag carried the momentum into the third game, racing to a 5-1 lead. But Kjaer and Sogaard clawed their way back to 8-all after two unforced errors from the former. The short rallies continued and Kjaer-Sogaard held a slender one-point lead at the mid-game interval, as pressure mounted on the Indians. Satwik and Chirag stayed close at 14-15 despite a few mistaken lifts going long. Two quick points earned by the latter brought them back at 16-17 and they levelled at 19-all. Kjaer and Sogaard earned a match point to raise the tension, but Chirag's sharp body shot made it 20-all. He then produced a brilliant serve to earn a match point for him and Satwik and the latter sealed the victory over the Danes with a precise return that caught the line. Earlier in the day, Sindhu faltered in the deciding game to go down to sixth seed Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand. Sindhu squandered a 15-11 lead in the decider to lose 22-20, 10-21, 18-21 in a gruelling 78-minute battle. Sindhu looked in control after overturning a 10-16 deficit to win the first game. She led 15-11 in the decider and had the momentum, but a series of errors proved costly as she made another early exit. Chochuwong capitalised on the lapse, winning five straight points, four of them because of Sindhu's mistaken smashes and drops in fast conditions.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
05-06-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Indonesia Open: Satwik-Chirag reach quarterfinals, PV Sindhu bows out in second round
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Open 2025, while PV Sindhu lost a close three-game battle in the second round. Other Indian shuttlers also bowed out on a disappointing day. read more Jakarta: India's top men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarterfinals while two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu lost in the women's singles second round in the Indonesia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament here on Thursday. Satwik and Chirag, the 2023 champions, showed great temperament under pressure to register a hard-fought 16-21, 21-18, 22-20 win over world number 16 Danish pair of Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard in a 68-minute second-round clash. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Satwik and Chirag, who had reached the semifinals of the Singapore Open Super 750 last week, thus remained the only surviving Indians in the competition. The former world number one pair will face Malaysian seventh seeds Man Wei Chong and Kai Wun Tee next. Earlier, Sindhu faltered in the deciding game to go down to world number 8 Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand in the second round. Sindhu squandered a 15-11 lead in the decider to lose 22-20, 10-21, 18-21 in a gruelling 78-minute battle. It was a disappointing day for the rest of the Indian contingent, as Sathish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath, along with the women's doubles pair of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, also bowed out in the second round. While Sathish and Aadya were outclassed 7-21, 12-21 by the sixth-seeded Thai duo of Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran in just 25 minutes, Gayatri and Treesa put up a fight before losing 13-21, 22-24 to Japan's Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto in 46 minutes. Satwik and Chirag, playing only their second tournament since returning from injury, had to do the catch-up in the opening game, as the Danes dominated the net play with sharp interceptions and won most of the short rallies. The Indians trailed 6-10 at one stage and, although they pulled level with four straight points, the Danish pair kept their nose ahead to pocket the opening game. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The second game was a tight affair, with the Indians putting pressure on the back court. From 14-14, Satwik and Chirag reeled off five straight points to force a decider. They carried the momentum into the third game, racing to a 5-1 lead. But the Danes clawed their way back to 8-8 after two unforced errors from Satwik. The short rallies continued and the Danes held a slender one-point lead at the mid-game interval. The Indians stayed close at 14-15 despite a few misjudged lifts going long. Two quick points earned by Chirag brought them back at 16-17, and they eventually levelled at 19-19. The Danes earned a match point, but Chirag's sharp body return made it 20-all. He then produced a fine serve to earn match point for the Indian duo, and Satwik sealed the win with a precise return that caught the line, sparking celebrations. In the women's singles, Sindhu looked in control after overturning a 10-16 deficit to win the first game. She led 15-11 in the decider and had the momentum, but a series of errors proved costly. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Chochuwong capitalised on the lapse, winning five straight points — four of them due to Sindhu's miscued smashes and drops in fast conditions. 'I think I should have converted it to win. I was leading 16-13 in the third set, but I think from there also it was a bit faster so I had to control a lot more. From there, she took the lead and I think I made it equal at 18 all. It was anybody's game at that point of time,' Sindhu said. 'But overall, I'm happy with my performance. It would have been really good if I would have converted it into a win today. But yeah, a lot to learn from this match and this tournament as well and prepare for the next one.'
