Seoul, South Korea : Indian badminton duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty got off to an impressive start at the Korea Open 2023 badminton tournament, cruising into the second round of the men’s doubles on Tuesday. This marked their first match since their title win at the Indonesia Open last month, and they showcased their winning form by defeating Thailand’s Supak Jomkoh and Kittinupong Kedren with a score of 21-16, 21-14.
Rankireddy and Shetty wasted no time in asserting their dominance on the court, taking an 11-6 lead before the first mid-game break. Despite a valiant effort from their Thai opponents after the break, the Indian pair maintained their composure and secured the opening game.
In the second game, Jomkoh and Kedren started strongly, surging to a 9-4 advantage. However, Rankireddy and Shetty quickly turned the tide in their favour, displaying their resilience and tactical prowess. They closed out the match in just 32 minutes, securing their spot in the pre-quarterfinals.
Next up for the world’s No. 3 Indian pair is a challenging encounter against He Ji Ting and Zhou Hao Dong from the Republic of China. Ting and Dong, who clinched the Madrid Masters earlier this year, will undoubtedly provide stiff competition for Rankireddy and Shetty as they aim to continue their winning streak.
While Rankireddy and Shetty celebrated their triumph, it was a disappointing day for Mr. Arjun and Dhurv Kapila. Paired against Chinese eighth seeds Liu Yu Chen and Ou Xuan Yi in the first round, the Indian duo had to retire from the match due to Mr. Arjun’s apparent back injury.
In the men’s singles qualifiers, Indian players were unable to secure berths in the main draw. Harshit Aggarwal showed promise by winning his first-round match against Malaysian shuttler Tan Jia Jie with a score of 21-15, 21-17. However, he fell short in the second round, losing to Chinese Taipei’s Choi Pyeong Gang. Shashwat Dalal also faced an early exit, succumbing to local player Jeong Min Seon in straight sets, 21-14, 21-17.
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