India, Aug. 21: Indian badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarterfinals of the BWF World Championships in New Delhi after overcoming Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap in a hard fought pre-quarterfinal encounter.
The fifth seeded Indian duo were forced to fight from behind after losing the opening game 21-23. However, Satwik and Chirag responded strongly in the following games, raising their intensity and controlling the crucial rallies to complete the comeback.
Their victory keeps India’s medal hopes alive at the prestigious tournament, with the pair now just one win away from securing a place on the podium.
The Indian combination has emerged as one of the country’s strongest badminton partnerships in recent years and will be looking to maintain its momentum in the quarterfinal stage.
Satwik and Chirag will next face China’s third-seeded Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in a highly anticipated quarterfinal clash.
