Malaysia Open Day 3 Roundup: HS Prannoy, Chirag/Satwik reach quarter-finals, Jolly/Gopichand out of competition
Top day for Indian badminton on Day 3 of the Malaysia Open as star shuttler HS Prannoy reached the last eight of the men’s singles after defeating Indonesian baddie Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo.
In men’s doubles, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy got the better of the Indonesian duo of Bagas Maulana and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri to reach the quarter-finals
Here are the highlights of the Day 3 matches:
Men’s Singles
HS Prannoy vs Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo
It won’t be wrong to say that HS Prannoy is in the form of his life. In a big tournament where PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, and Kidambi Srikanth crashed out in the first round, Prannoy held his nerves and reached the quarter-final stage after defeating Indonesian shuttler Dwi Wardoyo in a three-game encounter. He outclassed his opponent 21-9, 15-21, and 21-16 to enter the last eight of the men’s singles.
Prannoy now is set to face Japanese player Kodai Naraoka in the quarter-final fixture. This is going to be a difficult one for the Indian champion but a win from here can increase his chances of winning a medal on a big stage yet again.
Men’s Doubles
Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy vs Bagas Maulana and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri
Star doubles pair Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy reached the quarterfinals
Star duo Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy are continuing where they have left in 2022. They have been in great form in the past couple of years and the duo added another great victory to their list when they defeated the Indonesian pair of Bagas Maulana and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in a tight game by 21-19, 22-20.
They had to fight for this victory to reach the next round and the journey won’t be easy in the upcoming battle where they are set to face the Chinese pair of Liu Yuchen and Ou Xuanyi. Keeping in mind their current form, they can beat any pair in the world right now.
Women’s Doubles
Srivedya Gurazada/ Ishika Jaiswal vs Baek Ha-na/Yu-lim Lee
Srivedya, who competes internationally for India, had a terrible outing in the Round of 16 against the South Korean pair of Baek and Yu-lim. She, alongside Ishika Jaiswal, lost the battle 2-21, 6-21 which clearly depicts that there was no intent in the game.
Earlier in the tournament, they defeated the Spanish duo of Azurmendi and Corrales in the first round by 21-17, 18-21, and 21-16.
Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand vs Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva
Jolly and Gopichand lost the hard-fought battle against the Stoeva sisters in the Round of 16
The duo of Gopichand and Jolly started off really well in the tournament but crashed out against the Bulgarian pair of Gabriela and Stefani Stoeva in the Round of 16.
It was a three-game affair where the Indian pair got beaten 13-21, 21-15, and 17-21. They showed fight at every point but that wasn’t enough for them to take them through to the quarters.