Indonesia Open 2023 | Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/ Chirag Shetty in finals, HS Prannoy falls in semis
The top Indian men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty created history on Saturday, as they reached their first World Tour Super 1000 final, at the Indonesia Open. The duo beat the unseeded Korean pair Min Hyuk Kang and Seung Jae Seo of Korea 17-21, 21-19, 21-18.
Now the world no. 6 Indian pair will be up against the winners Pramudya Kusumawardana and Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob Rambitan of Indonesia and second seeds Aaron Chia and Wooi Yik Soh of Malaysia. But on the other hand, it was curtains for HS Prannoy, as he lost to the world no. 1 Viktor Axelsen 15-21, 15-21.
Meanwhile, the duo of Satwik and Chirag struggled in the initial stages of the match, as their opponents surged to an early 6-3 lead in the first game. The Indians did try to make a comeback, but it was too late in the game. Come the second, the Indians were a lot more focused and raced to an 11-4 lead.
The Indian pair did win the game, but not before a few unforced errors crept into their style of play. Eventually, they posted their third win over this pair to make it to the final of the prestigious event.