NEW DELHI, India — India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were eliminated from the BWF World Championships after losing their men’s doubles quarterfinal against China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in straight games on Friday.
- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost 18-21, 9-21 to Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang.
- The Indian pair surrendered a 18-16 lead in the opening game after the Chinese duo produced five straight points.
- Liang and Wang dominated the second game to secure a place in the semifinals.
- India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand reached the women’s doubles semifinals with a comeback win.
Satwik-Chirag bow out in quarterfinals
The defeat ended the campaign of the Indian men’s doubles pair at a World Championships being played in front of their home supporters. Satwik and Chirag had started the quarterfinal with confidence but were unable to maintain their momentum against the Chinese combination.
The opening game was closely contested, with neither side managing to establish a decisive advantage for much of the contest. India reached the mid-game interval with an 11-10 lead before Liang and Wang began to apply greater pressure.
Satwik and Chirag eventually moved 18-16 ahead and appeared well placed to take the first game. The Chinese pair, however, responded with five consecutive points to overturn the deficit and close out the game 21-18.
Liang-Wang take control in second game
The momentum shifted decisively after the first-game turnaround. Liang and Wang immediately imposed themselves on the second game, while the Indian pair struggled to reproduce the intensity and consistency they had shown earlier.
The Chinese duo established a 11-5 advantage at the interval and continued to widen the gap after the restart. Satwik and Chirag found it increasingly difficult to match their opponents’ control and rhythm.
Several errors around the net also hurt the Indian pair. Liang and Wang remained composed during the rallies and repeatedly capitalised when India made mistakes, allowing them to build a commanding advantage.
The Chinese combination eventually wrapped up the second game 21-9, completing a straight-game victory and securing their place in the semifinals.
Satwik’s shoulder issue adds to India’s problems
Satwik’s shoulder issue appeared to affect the Indian pair during the quarterfinal. The problem restricted some of the shots he was able to play and became another challenge as Liang and Wang increased the pressure.
The injury could now require Satwik to take a period of rest and recovery following India’s exit. The supplied report does not provide a detailed assessment of the shoulder problem or specify a recovery timeline.
Despite the quarterfinal defeat, Satwik and Chirag’s campaign ended in the last eight at the home World Championships. Their run provided India’s men’s doubles team with a strong showing on home soil, even though they were unable to progress to the medal rounds.
Treesa-Gayatri reach semifinals with comeback win
India still had a major reason to celebrate in the women’s doubles competition. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand produced a strong comeback against China’s Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian to reach the semifinals.
The Indian pair lost the opening game 16-21 but responded impressively in the next two games. They levelled the contest by taking the second game 21-15 before completing the comeback with a 21-13 victory in the decider.
The quarterfinal lasted more than 70 minutes at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. Their victory guarantees the Indian duo at least a bronze medal at the World Championships.
India’s contrasting quarterfinal results
The contrasting results gave Indian badminton fans a mixed evening at the home championships. Satwik and Chirag’s men’s doubles campaign ended against a Chinese pair that took control after a tightly fought opening game.
For Treesa and Gayatri, the quarterfinal produced the opposite outcome. Their ability to recover after dropping the first game earned them a place in the semifinals and ensured India a medal in the women’s doubles event.
Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang will now continue their campaign in the men’s doubles semifinals, while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand advance to the corresponding stage after their comeback victory.
Praveen Yadav is the Founder and Content Creator of The Nation Bulletin, an independent digital news platform focused on delivering timely, reliable and meaningful news from India and around the world.
