NEW DELHI: India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty progressed to the semis in the men's doubles event at the Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.
The seventh-seeded pair defeated Malaysian opponents Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo 26-24, 21-15 in a contest that lasted 49 minutes.
In the semifinals, Satwik and Chirag will face South Korea's Won Ho Kim and Seung Jae Seo.
Satwik and Chirag were runners-up in the previous edition of the Malaysia Open.
The first game was a closely fought contest. Both pairs were evenly matched throughout. At the mid-game interval, the Indian pair held a slim 11-9 lead. They further extended their lead to 18-16.
The Malaysian pair then rallied, scoring three consecutive points to tie the game at 19-19. They even briefly took a 20-19 lead.
Despite the pressure, Satwik and Chirag remained composed. They saved four consecutive game points. The Indian pair ultimately won the first game 26-24.
In the second game, the Malaysian duo started strongly. They held the lead for a significant portion of the game, leading 11-8 at the interval.
Satwik and Chirag mounted a remarkable comeback after the interval. They dominated the latter half of the second game.
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