India shuttler duo Satwik, Chirag’s magical run at Paris Olympics ends in quarter-finals

Paris [France], August 1 (ANI): India’s hopes of seeing a medal in the hands of India shuttler duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty ended on a bitter note after the duo crashed out of the men’s doubles event following their defeat against Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Wooi Yik Soh in the quarter-finals on Thursday in the ongoing Paris Olympics.

Despite starting the knockout stage on a dominating note, Satwik and Chirag’s hopes of returning to India with an Olympic medal were eventually crushed. With a 21-13, 14-21, 16-21 loss, Satwik and Chirag bowed out of the Paris Olympics.

The first set began with Satwik and Chirag racing to a slender 5-4 lead over the Malaysian opponents. Chirag stood out by executing effective quick smashes down the middle to fetch points.

The world number 3 duo briefly held a two-point lead. But The Malaysian duo chased down Satwik and Chirag by taking two consecutive points, levelling the opening set at 10-10.

In reply, Satwik and Chirag upped the ante and took four points in a row to lead after the mid-game break by 14-10.

After the resumption of the first set, a few unforced errors from the Malaysian pair allowed the Indian duo to extend their lead. A typical jump smash from Satwik to make the scoreline 17-12 allowed the Indian duo to assert control and take a step closer to a comfortable first-set win.

Satwik and Chirag continued to put their flawless technique and play style on exhibition. The outcome went in the favour of the Indian duo, and they took the first set effortlessly by 21-13 in just 17 minutes.

In the second set, the story was completely different despite Satwik and Chirag taking a 4-1 lead within a blink of an eye.

With their relentless approach, Aaron and Soh came from behind to level the scoreline at 5-5. The game was a neck-to-neck affair, and the Malaysian eventually took a slender one-point lead before the break, 10-11.

The Malaysian duo took control of the game and didn’t let go of it right till the end of the second set. They raced to a 14-21 win in the second set without breaking a sweat.

They continued to ride high on the momentum they discovered in the second set. Unlike the previous two sets, rallies became longer, and Aaron-Soh took the most advantage of it.

Satwik and Chirag chased the Malaysian duo for the majority of the decider. Momentarily, they managed to go past Aaron and Soh, raising hopes for a semi-final spot.

But Aaron and Soh showed their class, fought back to level the third set and sealed it with a 16-21 win. The final point brought a disappointing end to Satwik and Chirag’s campaign.