Satwik-Chirag Reach Hong Kong Open Quarterfinals

 India's star men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, secured their spot in the quarterfinals of the USD 500,000 Hong Kong Open Super 500 badminton tournament with a hard-fought victory over Thailand's Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul.

The eighth-seeded duo, currently ranked world No. 9, overcame an initial setback to win 18-21, 21-15, and 21-11 in a gripping 63-minute match. Fresh from their bronze medal at the World Championships in Paris, Satwik and Chirag will next face Malaysia's Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap, promising another exciting contest.

The match began with a challenging first game, where the Indian pair trailed 8-11 and fought back to 18-18, only for the Thai duo to edge ahead and claim it. Undeterred, Satwik and Chirag ramped up their intensity in the second game, taking an 11-10 lead at the interval and dominating to force a decider. The third game was decisive, as they surged to a 7-2 lead and maintained control, capitalising on their opponents' errors to seal the win.

Other Indian players are also in action later today, with Lakshya Sen facing HS Prannoy in an all-Indian men's singles clash, and the women's doubles team of Rutaparna and Swetaparna Panda challenging China's fifth-seeded pair, Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min. This performance highlights the growing prowess of Indian badminton on the international stage.

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