Yeosu: The Indian men’s doubles badminton duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty displayed their brilliance on the court, securing a spot in the final of the Korea Open 2023 badminton tournament. The highly-talented pair defeated the Republic of China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, currently ranked world No. 2 in the badminton rankings, with a scoreline of 21-15, 24-22. This remarkable victory marks their third final appearance this year.
Having already clinched the Swiss and Indonesia Open titles on the 2023 BWF World Tour, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty entered the semi-final clash as formidable opponents. In the final, they will face the winners of the other semi-final battle between Indonesian top seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto and the Republic of Korea’s Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae on Sunday.
In the pulsating semi-final match at the Jinnam Stadium in Yeosu, the Indian pair started neck-to-neck with their Chinese rivals. However, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, world No. 3 and third seeds at the BWF Super 500 tournament, gained the upper hand in the first game by securing five consecutive points. They took the score from 9-8 to 14-8, ultimately clinching the opening game with ease.
In the second game, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang showed their resilience and fought back from a 14-9 deficit, levelling the scores at 19-19. Nevertheless, the Indian duo raised their game during the crucial moments, sealing the victory after 40 minutes of intense competition.
This triumph holds additional significance as it marks Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s first-ever win over the Chinese pair in their three meetings. Previously, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang emerged victorious in encounters at the All England Open and Malaysia Open earlier this year.
Meanwhile, two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu faced an early exit in the opening round, succumbing to a defeat against Chinese Taipei’s Pai Yu Po on Wednesday.
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