Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s Denmark Open semi-final run ends with defeat to Japanese duo | Badminton News

India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, right, and Chirag Shetty in action (Claus Fisker/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) In a thrilling men’s doubles semifinal at the Denmark Open Super 750, India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost to Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi on Saturday.The Asian Games champions, who had recently reached finals in both Hong Kong Super 500 and China Masters Super 750, showed resilience after losing the first game but ultimately fell short with scores of 21-23, 21-18, 16-21.The intense 68-minute match featured fast-paced exchanges and sharp rallies, marking the end of India’s campaign at the USD 950,000 tournament.The world No. 7 Indian pair entered the match as favourites with a 4-1 head-to-head advantage and three consecutive wins against the Japanese duo. However, the 2021 world champions Hoki and Kobayashi demonstrated superior coordination and precision at crucial moments.The opening game saw the Indians take an early 4-1 lead, but unforced errors allowed the Japanese pair to move ahead 5-4. Kobayashi’s angled smashes and Hoki’s returns helped them build a lead of 11-6 at the interval.After the break, Satwik and Chirag improved their rhythm, narrowing the gap to 12-13 and eventually levelling at 14-14.The Japanese secured the first game 23-21 after saving two game points, with Chirag’s final serve return hitting the net.In the second game, the Indians showed better form with Chirag’s aggressive net play and strategic placement, maintaining a lead at 16-14.They successfully closed the second game 21-18, with Chirag’s cross return forcing a decisive third game.The final game began as an intense battle of angles and reflexes. Despite good line judgments from Chirag keeping the score level at 5-5, errors gave the Japanese an 8-6 lead.The Indians briefly led 11-10 at the break, but the Japanese pair increased their intensity afterwards, winning a 31-shot rally to take a 13-11 lead. Hoki and Kobayashi maintained their momentum with steep attacks and better anticipation, extending their lead to 17-13.Despite a brief comeback attempt by the Indians reducing the gap to 16-19, a net error from Chirag gave the Japanese four match points.Kobayashi sealed their first final appearance of the year with a precise return, ending the match at 21-16 in the deciding game.

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