Thailand Open 2024: Satwik-Chirag storm into final, Ashwini-Tanisha bow out

India’s top men’s doubles pair reach their fourth final in 2024.

India’s leading men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty booked their spot in the Thailand Open 2024 final with an emphatic straight games win over Chinese Taipei’s Lu Ming Cheng and Tang Kai Wei in the semi-finals on Saturday.

The top seeded Indian duo was in scintillating form, dismissing their opponents 21-11, 21-12 in just 35 minutes.

From the outset, Satwik and Chirag controlled the match, establishing a strong lead in the first game and maintaining their dominance throughout. Their aggressive net play and precise shot-making left the Taiwanese pair struggling. The Indian pair wrapped up the first game 21-11 without much resistance.

In the second game, Lu Ming Cheng and Tang Kai Wei briefly gained the upper hand, staying competitive and even leading during the initial stages. However, Satwik and Chirag quickly turned the tide, scoring seven consecutive points to shift the momentum and take a decisive 17-10 lead. Despite a few slip-ups, the Indian duo managed to close out the game 21-12.

This victory brings the Asian Games gold medalists closer to reclaiming the title they first won in Thailand back in 2019. In the final, Satwik and Chirag will face China’s Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi. The win also marks their fourth final appearance of the season, following runner-up finishes at the Malaysia Super 1000 and India Super 750 and a title win at the French Super 750 in March.

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However, it was the end of the road for India’s Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto in the women’s doubles semi-finals. The duo put up a brave fight, but ultimately went down 12-21, 20-22 to Thailand’s top seeds Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai.

In the first game, Ashwini and Tanisha found themselves trailing at 11-7, with the No. 1 seeds from Thailand managing to comfortably close out the game at 21-12.

However, the Indian pair gained momentum at the start of the second game, leading 8-3 at one point. Despite this, the Thai duo rallied and took an 11-8 lead at the interval. In a competitive second game, the Indian pair found themselves trailing 20-17, with Thailand holding three match-point opportunities. India, however, managed to save all three. Nonetheless, the No. 1 seeds eventually closed out the match and the game at 22-20.

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