India Open Badminton: Satwik-Chirag storm into semi-finals as Sindhu and George lose

PV Sindhu and Kiran George were knocked out from India Open Super 750 on Friday as men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty stormed into the semi-finals.

Satwik and Chirag are the last remaining Indians in the home tournament and they defeated South Korea’s Jin Yong and Kang Min-hyuk 21-10, 21-17 in the quarter-finals in New Delhi while India's only hope in the men's singles, Kiran George, lost to China’s Weng Hong Yang 21-13, 21-19 in his last eight match.

Sidhu fights hard but suffers heartbreak 

Two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu suffered a narrow loss to Paris bronze medallist Indonesia's Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the women's singles quarter-final.

Sindhu, a former champion, fought back strongly after a one-sided opening game loss but faltered in the decider, going down 9-21, 21-19, 17-21 in a gripping 62-minute contest.

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"It is sad definitely that I lost in the third set after fighting so hard but I think the game is such. I have to obviously come back stronger but at that point I would say anybody would have got that point or lost that point," Sindhu told reporters.

"There were long rallies. I have to be more consistent and keep the shuttle in the court. But sometimes it happens. In the second and third set, I was not leaving the drops or half smashes or the cut drops. And I was prepared for it. But first game I wasn't comfortable, there were easy mistakes." Tunjung dominated early using her delectable drops to good use to race to an 11-4 lead at the break. With Sindhu struggling with her strokes, it was all over too soon.

The Indonesian grabbed a 6-2 lead after the change of sides, but Sindhu fought back, levelling at 9-9 with Tunjung erring repeatedly. A wide shot from Tunjung gave Sindhu a one-point advantage at the break.

Sindhu's attacking play, featuring powerful smashes, helped her reach 14-10, but Tunjung fought back, tying the score at 14-14. A pumped-up Sindhu then regained her composure, clinching two game points before Tunjung hit into the net, allowing Sindhu to take the first game 21-19.

In the decider, Tunjung raced to a 10-8 lead, with both players exchanging intense rallies. Sindhu, however, erased the deficit quickly after the break and kept the pressure on her opponent. Tunjung moved to 17-14, but Sindhu responded, drawing parity with a drop and a net shot winner.

Tunjung, however, secured three match points and despite Sindhu’s best efforts, sealed the match with a cross-court winner.

With agency inputs