A good run for Chirag Shetty and Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy continued as they moved to the semifinals of the Indonesia Open 2023 on Friday. In men’s singles, HS Prannoy defeated Kodai Naraoka to enter the semis whereas PV Sindhu lost her Round of 16 battle to Tai Tzu-ying in women’s singles.
A lot was expected from Lakshya Sen this time but the young baddie lost his game to his own countryman Kidambi Srikanth. Rising star Priyanshu Rajawat did well against Anthony Sinisuka Ginting but lost in the end.
Here’s a look at the highlights of Day 3 matches:
Men’s Singles
HS Prannoy vs Angus Ng Ka Long
HS Prannoy defeated Ng Ka Long in straight games 21-18, 21-16 in the Round of 16 to reach the quarter-final. The Indian shuttler looked comfortable throughout the match even though there were some moments where the Hong Kong baddie surprised Prannoy.
Ng Ka Long is currently ranked 16th in the BWF rankings and he is surely going to rise as time progresses whereas Prannoy is having the best of time with some tremendous displays in the past.
Srikanth Kidambi vs Lakshya Sen
It was not what the fans would have wanted early in the tournament as Srikanth faced Lakshya in the Round of 16 where the experienced player got the better of his young teammate. Srikanth won the battle by 21-17, 22-20 which proved to be a hard-fought match.
Lakshya Sen could have won the second game but clearly, the experience prevailed in the end. The young baddie would now want to make a comeback in the coming tournaments.
Priyanshu Rajawat vs Anthony Sinisuka Ginting
Priyanshu Rajawat lost to Anthony Ginting in the Round of 16 in the Indonesia Open 2023
An excellent game was witnessed between the young Priyanshu Rajawat and the top player Anthony Sinisuka Ginting on Day 3 as the Indian shuttler lost the battle after putting all his effort into the match. He got defeated 22-20, 15-21, 15-21 against the home player.
Rajawat made his intentions clear after winning the first game 22-20 but the 21-year-old failed to capitalize on his great touch in the next two games. This tournament would surely help him get something bigger in the future.
Women’s Singles
PV Sindhu vs Tai Tzu-ying
After defeating Tunjung in the first round, Sindhu looked positive for this match, however, the Indian badminton star made more mistakes often than not against Tzu-ying. She lost the battle by 18-21, 16-21 to make an early exit from the tournament.
Sindhu was one of the title contenders keeping in mind her records from the past but it did not end in the way she wanted. She would now look to bring back her lost touch in the coming tournaments.
Men’s Doubles
Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy vs Zhou Haodong and He Jiting
Sometimes when you are in fine form, the opposition doesn’t matter and this is the case with the Indian pair right now as they won a terrific battle against the duo of China on Thursday. Chirag and Satwik defeated Haodong and Jiting in straight games 21-17, 21-15 to enter the quarterfinals of the tournament.
The Indian duo did not give a single chance to the Chinese pair to make a comeback in the game. Additionally, Chirag/Satwik played with a better understanding than the Chinese duo to reach the next round.
Now, here’s a look at the highlights of Day 4 matches:
Men’s Singles
HS Prannoy vs Kodai Naraoka
HS Prannoy is getting better and better after each game as this quarterfinal victory against a top-class player from Japan is a perfect example. He defeated Naraoka in straight games 21-18 and 21-16 to enter the semifinals of the Indonesia Open 2023.
HS Prannoy is through to the semi-final after defeating Kodai Naraoka in the quarters
The Japanese shuttler tried his level best in both games, however, couldn’t stop Prannoy from getting better every time. Prannoy’s next outing will be against Viktor Axelsen who is a number one ranked player in the world right now. If he can win this one, then certainly he can win the title on Sunday.
Srikanth Kidambi vs Li Shifeng
Srikanth was going really well in the tournament but the Chinese Li Shifeng stopped his journey in the quarterfinals. Shifeng got the better of Srikanth by 21-14, 14-21, 21-12. After losing the first game, the Indian shuttler made a terrific comeback by winning the game 21-14. Moreover, he was all set to beat the Chinese shuttler but he choked in the last game to end his hopes.
Men’s Doubles
Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy vs Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto
The Indonesian pair of Alfian and Ardianto is one of the finest in the world right now with the number-one ranking to their name, however, the way Chirag and Satwik played against them, it seemed like they were playing Round 1 of the tournament.
The Indian stars defeated the Indonesian pair in straight games 21-13, 21-13 to enter the all-important semifinals. With this victory, it is possible for them to win the title because of their remarkable show.