Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Reddy have qualified for the semifinals of the BWF World Championships, whereas HS Prannoy, who impressed everyone in this campaign, lost his quarterfinal encounter. Dhruv Kapila and Arjun Madathil Rmachandran too lost their quarterfinal match.
Here are the highlights of Friday’s matches:
Men’s Singles
HS Prannoy vs J.P. Zhao
HS Prannoy is out of the tournament after a defeat against J.P. Zhao in the quarterfinals
HS Prannoy was the only hope for a medal in the men’s singles category, but the experienced shuttler crashed out in the quarterfinals on Friday after a three-set defeat against J.P. Zhao with 21-19, 6-21, 18-21. It was a hard-fought battle for the Indian shuttler.
After winning the first set, he went down in the second set badly. He made a couple of comebacks in the final set but couldn’t manage to keep Zhao on the back foot. Overall, it was a good tournament for Prannoy as he won against some tough opponents.
Men’s Doubles
Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy vs Yugo Kobayashi/Takuro Hoki
History has been created by the magical duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy as they went on to defeat Japan’s Yugo Kobayashi and Taruko Hoki 24-22, 15-21, 21-14.
It was an exciting clash and there were instances when the India duo struggled, but they managed it well enough to make a comeback each time. India’s first and only medal in this edition has been confirmed by the duo.
Undoubtedly, their target would be gold, but a confirmed medal from here is another achievement for Indian badminton.
Dhruv Kapila/Arjun Madathil Ramachandran vs Hendra Setiawan/Mohammad Ahsan
The Indian duo, who were going well in the tournament, were defeated on Friday by the Indonesian pair of Hendra Setiawan and Mohammad Ahsan.
They were beaten 8-21, 14-21 in the quarters. A victory in this game could have given India another medal in the ongoing World Championships. Overall, it was a good tournament for Kapila and Arjun, and the shuttlers would look forward to doing better in their next tournament.
It was not a tournament to remember for India as some big names like Lakshya Sen, Srikanth Kidambi, and Saina Nehwal couldn’t reach the medal rounds. Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who have assured of at least a bronze medal, will play their semifinal match most probably on Saturday.