Indian badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, along with Lakshya Sen and Tharun Mannepalli, have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Macau Open Super 300 after a day of intense battles.
Dramatic Wins for Top Indian Duo
Second seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty survived a massive scare, clawing back from the brink of defeat against Japan’s Kakeru Kumagai and Hiroki Nishi. They dropped the first game and faced a match point in the second before staging a thrilling comeback.
The Indian pair ultimately secured their quarterfinal spot with a hard-fought 10-21, 22-20, 21-16 victory in a grueling 61-minute match. Their determination shone through as they overcame a shaky start and a controversial point late in the second game.
Lakshya Sen and Tharun Mannepalli Also Through
In men’s singles, second seed Lakshya Sen also had to dig deep to secure his place in the last eight. He battled past Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo in a challenging three-game encounter, winning 21-14, 14-21, 21-17.
Meanwhile, Tharun Mannepalli delivered the headline upset of the day for the Indian contingent. The world No. 47 orchestrated a splendid comeback against top seed and world No. 15 Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong, rallying to win 19-21, 21-14, 22-20. This marks Tharun’s second Super 300 quarterfinal appearance this year.
Health and Resilience on Display
The resilience shown by the Indian players, especially Satwik-Chirag, resonates with their previous statements about overcoming physical challenges. Chirag had noted before the Macau Open that even winning one game at the Singapore Open would have been great, given their condition.
Satwik had also emphasized the need for full fitness, mentioning they hadn’t played without niggles for the past year. This highlights the mental and physical toughness required to perform at this level, particularly after such demanding matches.
Looking Ahead to Quarterfinals
The path ahead promises more exciting clashes for the Indian shuttlers. Lakshya Sen is set to face Zhu Xuan Chen, while Tharun Mannepalli will take on reigning Junior World Champion Hu Zhe’an, both from China.
Mixed Results for Other Indians
While some Indian stars shone, others faced early exits. Ayush Shetty was ousted in the men’s singles, losing to Malaysia’s Justin Hoh.
In the women’s singles, teenager Rakshitha Ramraj showed glimpses of brilliance in her match against second seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand, taking the first game before ultimately falling in three. Indian pairs in mixed, men’s, and women’s doubles categories also faced defeats in their respective matches.
- Satwik-Chirag saved a match point in a dramatic comeback victory.
- Lakshya Sen and Tharun Mannepalli also fought through tough three-game matches to advance.
- Tharun Mannepalli caused the biggest upset, defeating the top seed.
The Indian contingent will now regroup and prepare for their crucial quarterfinal matches as they aim for further success at the Macau Open.
