Indian campaign at the Malaysia Open 2025 ended on Saturday when Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were eliminated in the men’s doubles semi-finals.
Satwik-Chirag lost to the South Korean duo of Won Ho Kim and Seung Jae Seo with scores of 10-21, 15-21, preventing them from reaching the final of the Super 1000 tournament at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur.
The Indian pair faced a tough challenge in the quarterfinals, overcoming the Malaysian duo of Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo, with scores of 26-24, 21-15 in 49 minutes. However, fortune was clearly not in favor of Satwik-Chirag on Saturday as they were outperformed by their South Korean rivals. The Indian pair began their match slowly and were behind 6-11 at the midpoint of the first game.
The Korean pair controlled the court completely and won the first game in just 19 minutes, forcing Satwik-Chirag to be on the defensive. The second game was much improved for the Indian pair, as they demonstrated greater resilience and had established an 11-8 advantage by the midpoint.
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However, the joy for Indian supporters was brief as Kim and Seo made a comeback, winning the game 21-15 to eliminate Satwik-Chirag from the tournament and advance to the final.
India’s challenge in the Super 1000 tournament event ended with the loss of Satwik-Chirag, while Lakshya Sen, HS Prannoy, Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand, Priyanshu Rajawat, and others were eliminated in the first two rounds.
Satwik-Chirag will look for stronger comeback at India Open
Although their journey in the season opener concluded in the semi-finals, Satwik-Chirag will look to recover swiftly from the setback.
The pair will compete in the India Open, commencing on January 14.
Satwik-Chirag will face Malaysia’s Wei Chong Man and Kai Wun Tee in the Round of 32 in the India Open.
The Malaysians, aiming to enter the world top 10, might see their dream come true soon if they win title here in Kuala Lumpur.
Standing in their path for a final spot are the Chinese duo Liu Yi-Chen Bo Yang, who secured a straightforward win in straight games to advance to the semifinals.
