Olympics 2024 Badminton: Will Match Cancellation vs German Duo Affect Satwik-Chirag's Quarterfinal Chances?

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's men's doubles Group C clash scheduled for Monday (July 29) has been cancelled following the withdrawal of German player Mark Lamsfuss due to injury.

The Indian pair, who are one of medal hopefuls for the country, was scheduled to meet the German duo of Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel in the opening match on day 3 of the competition, but the match was cancelled as per the statement from Badminton World Federation (BWF).

"German men's doubles player Mark Lamsfuss has withdrawn from the Olympic Games Paris 2024 badminton competition due to a knee injury," the BWF said in the statement.

"Lamsfuss' and teammate Marvin Seidel's remaining Group C matches against India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (Court 3, 8.30am local time, 29 July 2024) and Lucas Corvee/Ronan Labar of France (Court 1, 'Not Before' 2.50pm local time, 30 July 2024) will not be played," the statement further added.

Does the cancellation of match have any affect on Satwik-Chirag's hunt for Olympic glory?

Having won their opening game in the group, Satwik and Chirag are well-poised to qualify for the quarterfinals as the top two teams from each group progress to the last eight in the men's doubles competition.

Rankireddy and Shetty had opened their campaign with a 21-17 21-14 win over the French combination of Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar on Saturday (July 27). They currently occupy the top spot in their group, but to remain their they need to win their crucial final group play match.

The Indian duo will take on Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in their final game on Tuesday (July 30). Due to the withdrawal of the German pair, the Indonesians' win over Lamsfuss and Sseidel on Saturday (July 27) has been deleted.

So, a win for the Indian pair on Tuesday (July 30) will see them seal top spot in the group and possibly booking an easier opponent in the quarterfinal. Satwik-Chirag hold a 3-2 edge over the Indonesian duo, having won the most recent three encounters.