Malaysia Open: Satwik-Chirag advance to semifinals

India's star doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, progressed to the semifinals of the Malaysia Open with a hard-fought victory on Friday. The Indian duo, seeded seventh, won 26-24, 21-15 over the Malaysian team of Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo in the quarterfinals of this prestigious Super 1000 tournament.

In the opening game, both pairs were evenly matched, resulting in a nail-biting contest. The Indians managed to hold a narrow lead of 11-9 at the interval and extended it to 18-16.

However, the Malaysians rallied, scoring three consecutive points to tie the game at 19-19 and even took a 20-19 lead. Undeterred, Satwik and Chirag showcased remarkable composure, saving four consecutive game points before clinching the first game 26-24.

The second game saw the Malaysian pair start strong, leading for most of the game with an 11-8 advantage at the interval. Nevertheless, Satwik and Chirag mounted an impressive comeback, winning 13 of the next 17 points to secure the match and earn their third consecutive semifinal berth.
Next, they will face South Korea's Won Ho Kim and Seung Jae Seo in the semifinals.