Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on Friday grew to become the primary Indian pair to win a medal within the males’s doubles occasion on the World Championships however HS Prannoy’s spectacular efficiency ended with a minor defeat within the males’s singles quarterfinals right here.
Satwik and Chirag, the world quantity seven mixture who claimed the Commonwealth Games gold medal earlier this month, defeated native favorites and defending champions Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi in a single hour and quarter-hour 24-22 15-21. defeated 21-14. Won his first medal within the prestigious event. This is India’s second World Championships medal in doubles occasion with Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa profitable bronze in girls’s doubles in 2011.
Overall, that is India’s thirteenth medal within the showpiece, with PV Sindhu profitable 5 together with one gold in 2019, and Saina Nehwal (silver and bronze) claiming two. Kidambi Srikanth (Silver), Lakshya Sen (Bronze), B Sai Praneeth (Bronze) and Prakash Padukone (Bronze) had been the opposite medalists.
It might have been a double delight for the nation, however China’s Zhao Jun Peng had different plans as he broke India’s coronary heart by defeating former world quantity eight Prannoy 19-21, 21-6, 21-18 , who had fallen down on one knee along with his head down. Hanging in despair after a horrific defeat.
Earlier, MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila’s good efficiency additionally got here to an finish when the Indian pair misplaced 8-21 14-21 to three-time champions Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan in one other males’s doubles quarterfinal. After guaranteeing a minimum of a bronze medal, Satwik and Chirag will now face sixth-seeded Malaysian pair of Aaron Chia and Soh Wui Yik within the semi-finals.
Satwik and Chirag dominated the opening spherical to take a 12-5 lead within the first sport, however the Japanese pair held on to a seven-point lead at 16-14. However, the Indian pair fought tooth and nail to make sure the benefit after the opening sport. Takuro and Yugo got here again strongly within the second sport after a hard-fought 9-9 break up.
With the match hanging within the stability, the Indian pair as soon as once more tightened their grip and attacked on the interval to take an 11-5 lead. Satwik and Chirag then prolonged the result in 14-8 earlier than they had been known as for a mistake for touching the online in the course of the return. Both misplaced factors however had been quickly in a position to maintain it again to guide 16-9. Yugo made some sensational pictures, together with a strong smash and a cross courtroom return, to maintain the Japanese pair’s possibilities alive with three factors.
Two pictures extensive from the Japanese pair took India a number of factors away from their 19-13 win. The Indians then pulled off one other spectacular comeback to attain seven match factors, which their opponents failed to barter.
A bit nervous, Satwik stumbles on his serve, however Yugo sends the shuttle over the online as Chirag stops crying in celebration. In males’s singles, Prannoy had raised medal hopes by defeating two-time former champion Kento Momota and compatriot. and final 12 months’s bronze medalist Lakshya Sen. But that was to not occur because the 30-year-old misplaced the benefit of the opening sport and was signed once more within the quarter after a modest 11-10 lead within the decider, after his final eight finishes in Spain in 2021.
Prannoy misplaced 4 factors initially however quickly acquired again into an excellent rhythm, creating an angle to bother his opponent. He grabbed the three-point cushion on the break and consolidated his maintain on the rallies to take a 19-13 benefit within the opening sport.
A sequence of errors, together with a large smash and three foul pictures, allowed Zhao to path 19–19. However, the Chinese despatched one over the online and the Indian made his trademark forehand return to pocket the sport.
The second sport was price forgetting as Prannoy was wanting dangerous. The Chinese took a large 11-1 lead on the interval, with Prannoy deciding to save lots of his power. Prannoy regarded unsure within the decider however managed to maintain himself in rivalry with a marginal one level lead on the interval. However, errors surfaced in his sport as Zhao took a 15-12 lead earlier than main 18-13.
The 43-shot rally ended with a smash from Zhao because the Chinese rapidly grabbed three match factors. Prannoy saved one with a backhand whip earlier than the Chinese produced one other winner to make their dream come true.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
