India’s top men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, powered into the quarterfinals of the China Open Super 1000 badminton tournament with a hard-fought 21-19, 21-19 victory over Indonesia’s eighth-seeded Leo Rolly Carnando and Bagas Maulana on Thursday. Meanwhile, HS Prannoy’s campaign ended with a 21-18, 15-21, 8-21 loss to Chinese Taipei’s sixth seed Chou Tien Chen in the men’s singles second round.

Chirag Shetty reflected on the intense doubles match, saying, “It was quite a topsy-turvy match — just back and forth. We got a breakthrough around 16, securing 3-4 points to close the first game.” Despite a shaky start in the second, trailing 14-10, the former world No. 1 duo rallied to level at 18-18, showcasing tactical discipline to seal the win. “We could’ve been calmer in the second game, but they played great on service receive. We’re happy with the win,” Chirag added, noting their improving form post-injury layoffs.

Prannoy, ranked world No. 35, fought valiantly in a 65-minute battle but faltered after winning the first game. His 2023 China Masters win over Chou (21-18, 22-20) wasn’t replicated as errors piled up, leading to a third-game collapse. The Indian pair, now world No. 15, faces Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen next, aiming to build momentum for the BWF World Championships (August 25-31, Paris).

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