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Taking to court at the Japan Open for their round of 16 today (July 27) were shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The Indian duo and fan favorites were battling Danish pair Jeppe Bay and Lasse Mølhede. Satwiksairaj and Chirag, who recently rose to world rank 2, had previously fought the Danes twice before and came out on top each time.
This time was no different as Rankireddy and Shetty played with the ease and agility you come to associate with the pros. Bay and Mølhede put their best foot forward and were able to keep the scoreline close for the first half of the first game.
From then things went awry for them as Satwiksairaj and Chirag ramped up their attack, and took home the first game 21-17. Keeping up the punishing pace, the Indian duo absolutely dominated the court in the second game. They took a comfortable 21-11 win, and the whole ordeal was over in a quick and neat 36 minutes.
Satwiksairaj and Chirag will now square up against Taiwanese pair Wang Chi-lin and Lee Yang in the quarterfinals of the Japan Open. While Wang and Lee are currently ranked 18th in the world, they are the reigning Olympic Champions and are sure to give the Indians a tough fight till the end.
Satwiksairaj & Chirag maintain their winning streak at the Japan Open
With this match, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have extended their winning streak to 12 matches. While amazing to watch, these kinds of effortless wins seem to become the norm for the Indians as they decimate their opponents right and left.
2023 has been a delightful year for the pair as they have claimed four title victories. These victories include the Asian Championships, Swiss Open, Singapore Open, and most recently, the Korea Open.
With their impressive performances, the duo has successfully risen to second place in the world rankings, a personal best for them. They are also the first Indian men's doubles pair to achieve this feat.
With momentum certainly on their side, fans will be excited to see Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty take on Wang Chi-lin and Lee Yang tomorrow (July 28) as they battle it out to book a berth at the semifinals of the Japan Open.
