It's a good sign, best is yet to come: Satwik-Chirag on semifinal finish at Singapore Open
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have regained their top spot following their Thailand Open title triumph on Sunday.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarter-finals, while H S Prannoy's valiant fight ended in a narrow second round loss at the Malaysia Super 1000 badminton tournament.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu faltered in the deciding game to lose to World No. 8 Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand in the women's singles second round of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 badminton tournament in Jakarta on Thursday.
World No 17 Sen, started strongly and took the first game 21-15. But Lin, bounced back to claim the second 21-17.
Satwik-Chirag had lost each of the two semifinals in straight sets and their aim would be to go the distance in the upcoming tournament.
With the Paris Olympics looming, Chirag and Satwik didn't compete in too many tournaments last year, but they plan to play in more events this season.
Ace doubles badminton player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy clarified his recent comments regarding the muted public reception after the Indian team won the Thomas Cup bronze medal, emphasising the need to celebrate all sporting achievements.
Sen, 26, who had made it to the Hong Kong Open final but has gone without a title this year, had a tough time beating Shetty in the opening game.
Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama, who trains P V Sindhu, had a narrow escape after an explosion occurred close to where they were stationed at Dubai Airport while travelling to Birmingham for the All England Championships.
In men's doubles, Satwik and Chirag, currently ranked 15th in the world, defeated the Korean duo of Kang Min Hyuk and Kim Dong Ju 21-18, 21-10 in just 42 minutes.
Sen, who had broken the three-year jinx of first-round exits in the tournament when he defeated Singapore's Jia Heng Jason Teh on Wednesday, succumbed in the pre-quarterfinals against Hong Kong-China's Lee Cheuk Yiu 22-22, 15-21 in 53 minutes.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty went down fighting against Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Indian doubles coach Tan Kim Her praised Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty for winning a bronze medal at the World Championships but rued the missed opportunity, saying the doubles specialists need to work more on their fitness to go the distance.
Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu will miss the Swiss Open as she recovers from travel disruptions in Dubai. H S Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth will lead the Indian challenge.
India's Lakshya Sen will miss the Thomas Cup semifinal against France due to a swollen elbow sustained during the quarterfinal match. Ayush Shetty will replace him in the opening singles.
Lakshya Sen's swollen elbow forces him to miss India's Thomas Cup semifinal against France, with Kidambi Shrikant stepping in. India aims for a spot in the final after a strong quarterfinal win.
The 24-year-old from Amalapuram expressed his gratitude to his partner for being there during this challenging time.
Star Indian shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have received a favourable draw for the Paris Olympics beginning July 26.
The Indian men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bowed out in the semifinals of the China Masters Super 750 badminton tournament
India face a tough challenge in the Thomas Cup semifinal as France take a 2-0 lead, with Kidambi Srikanth losing to Alex Lanier and Ayush Shetty falling to Christo Popov.
India's men's and women's teams advanced to the quarter-finals despite suffering narrow 2-3 defeats to Japan and Thailand respectively in their final group ties at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Qingdao, China, on Thursday.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty notched up a dominating straight-game win against Indonesian duo of Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Fajar Alfian to top Group C.
The Chirag-Satwik pair won the Thailand Open in May to reclaim the No.1 ranking but suffered loss of form and made a first-round exit from the Singapore Open last month.
Kiran George was defeated in the pre-quarterfinals of the Swiss Open, while Tharun Mannepalli advanced after his opponent retired. Other Indian players also faced setbacks in the tournament.
Another triumphant story was written in Indian badminton as Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty romped to a stunning comeback win.
A new book, "Heroes: The Changemakers of Indian Sports" by journalist-author Thirumoy Banerjee, chronicles the inspiring journeys of 15 Indian athletes, including Manu Bhaker, C A Bhavani Devi, Nikhat Zareen, Aman Kumar Kadyan, and Sumit Antil. It highlights their determination, resilience, and triumphs over setbacks, offering insights into their paths to success and celebrating their unwavering spirit.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's impressive run at the Malaysia Super 1000 badminton tournament came to an end
P V Sindhu and the men's doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty sailed into the quarter-finals of the China Masters tournament with straight-game wins, in Shenzhen, on Thursday.
PV Sindhu lost to Akane Yamaguchi in the quarterfinals of the Thailand Open, squandering an early lead in the second game. Despite the loss, Sindhu holds a lead in head-to-head records against Yamaguchi.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the second round of French Open Super 750 badminton tournament.
Satwik and Chirag will next face third-seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia.
A look at some of the long-standing barriers or world records which were broken in athletics, cricket and badminton.
The world No. 3 Indian pair was scheduled to meet the German duo of Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel on Monday in what was supposed to be their second Group C match, but it was cancelled following the withdrawal of Lamsfuss due to injury.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu is set to miss the All England Championships after being stranded in Dubai due to travel disruptions. Other Indian shuttlers face challenges reaching the tournament.
The Indian duo will take on Chinese Taipei's Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan in the final on Sunday.
Indian shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will look to hit top gear when they cross swords against Tokyo bronze medallist Malaysian combination of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik
India's Ayush Shetty secured a spot in the Badminton Asia Championships final after defeating top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn in a thrilling three-game match.
'We kept our calm and didn't rush into anything. We knew the rallies would be long, and eventually, the shuttle would go down.'
While the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty is among the world's best, former national coach Vimal Kumar said there is a significant drop-off beyond them.
