Daijiworld Media Network - Jakarta

Jakarta, Oct 18: In a thrilling contest, Indian men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty booked their place in the semifinals by defeating the Indonesian duo Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Rahmat Hidayat 21-15, 18-21, 21-16 in a 65-minute encounter. Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen could not replicate his earlier heroics and bowed out of the men’s singles quarterfinals, losing 9-21, 14-21 to world No. 7 Alex Lanier.

The match showcased the Indians’ mastery of the signature Indonesian men’s doubles style, where low, fast exchanges dominate the rallies. Guided by coach Tan Kim Her, Satwik and Chirag stayed strong on defense, acing service-return situations and converting defensive positions into attacking winners. After a closely contested first game, they weathered a comeback in the second, before asserting themselves in the decider with excellent crouched defense and sharp flat exchanges.

Chirag reflected on their strategy, saying, “Whenever we play against Indonesians, the rallies are short, and we knew we had to be strong in the service-return situations. Credit to them for coming back in the second game, but we are happy to win this in three.”
The Indians will next face Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi, another pair trained under Tan, in the semifinals.

In men’s singles, Lakshya Sen could not maintain the momentum from his win over world No. 2 Anders Antonsen, as France’s Alex Lanier dominated with superior angles and defensive play. Despite some flashes of brilliance, Lakshya struggled to keep up, ultimately succumbing in straight games within 44 minutes.

The results set the stage for a gripping semifinals lineup, with Satwiksairaj and Chirag looking confident as they continue India’s strong showing in the tournament.