India Open 2024: Chirag-Satwik, HS Prannoy book Semis berth with convincing victories

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It was an excellent fay for the Indian contingent as HS Prannoy, along with Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy have qualified for the semifinals of the India Open 2024 on Friday (January 20).

India's premier badminton talents illuminated the courts at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2024, turning in stellar performances that propelled them into the semi-finals.

The tournament is being held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium under the aegis of the Badminton Association of India (BAI).

Among the stars, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, the Asian Games 2022 gold medallists, and HS Prannoy, a bronze medallist at the same games, demonstrated their prowess with remarkable victories on Friday.

Chirag-Satwik's Domination in QF

The dynamic Indian duo of Chirag and Satwik took to the court with an aggressive strategy that left their opponents, the Danish team of Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen, scrambling. Their performance was nothing short of dominant, as they delivered a masterclass in badminton, swiftly taking the match 21-7, 21-10. The Indians' opening game was an impressive display of speed and skill, setting the tone with an early 11-3 lead and cruising to victory in just 16 minutes.

Commenting on how they managed to secure the victory, Chirag Shetty said, "We usually don't play such mind games, but today we made sure that we only receive and not play at their rhythm. The way we started off was in a convincing fashion and we kept it through the very end. We are really happy with the way we played and we want to keep the momentum for tomorrow as well and give 100%."

Prannoy gets Hard-fought Victory

On the other side of the draw, HS Prannoy showed his mettle through a grueling three-game match against Wang Tzu Wei from Chinese Taipei. Prannoy's determination was on full display as he secured his first semi-final spot in the tournament with a hard-earned 21-11, 17-21, 21-18 win. Despite the intense competition, Prannoy's perseverance saw him through the tough encounter.

"I think it is always tough to play against somebody like Wang Tzu Wei, who is exceptionally good along the net and attack. It was important for me to get that first game because he is somebody who gets going right from the start. The second game didn't go really well but I am really proud of what I could do in the third game to fight back. Shi Yu Qi has been playing really well in the last six months and he looks pretty solid out there. So it is going to be tough physically and the major thing is to get the body ready for tomorrow," said HS Prannoy after his victory in the quarterfinals.

Semi Finals

In their previous meet-ups, the Danish pair had emerged victorious over Chirag-Satwik twice. Yet, in this encounter, the World No.2 Indian pair broke the pattern, earning eight straight points in the second game to emphatically close out the match.

The victory sets the stage for a thrilling confrontation against former World Champions Soh Wooi Yik and Aaron Chia of Malaysia. Their upcoming battle is eagerly awaited by badminton enthusiasts, as the Indian duo aims to continue their sublime form on home turf.