India Open 2024: Prannoy ousted, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty march on to the finals

The semifinal stage at the India Open brought with it two battles that would keep badminton fans from the country at the edge of their seats. First was the men's singles match of HS Prannoy, followed by the doubles exchange of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Prannoy fell prey to China's Shi Yu Qi, while Rankireddy and Shetty made it to the finals.

The day kicked off with a mixed doubles match, with the two encounters featuring India saved for the end. Eighth seed and India's highest-ranked men's singles player, HS Prannoy, took to the court at around 9 PM, ready to fight China's Shi Yu Qi.

The match started well enough for India, with the 32-year-old Keralite jumping to a 3-0 lead. However, Qi made a rapid comeback, moving ahead at the mid-game interval before clinching the first set 21-15. The second game was a complete disaster for India, as Shi Yu Qi raced to an 11-4 lead in the first half of the game. The Chinese continued his dominant form, winning the match 21-5.

Meanwhile, the last semifinals at the India Open was the men's doubles match between Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The world number twos were up against Malaysians Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, and treated the fans to a thrilling encounter.

The first set was the stuff of dreams, as both pairs managed to stay within a couple of points of each other at all times. At 17 all, it was the Indians who managed to leapfrog ahead to the game point, before sealing the deal 21-18.

Running high on the energy from their victory in the first set, Rankireddy and Shetty got a powerful start in the second game. While Chia and Yik did manage to close down the gap to just a point before the interval, the Indians proved to be too good to beat, eventually claiming the game 21-14.

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India Open 2024: Results at the end of day 5

Men's Singles

Shi Yu Qi (China) beat HS Prannoy (India) 21-15, 21-5

Men's Doubles

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (India) beat Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik (Malaysia) 21-18, 21-14

With this victory, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have moved on to the finals of the India Open. This is their second consecutive finals of the year, and the duo will face Korea's Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae on Sunday (January 21) as they battle for their first title of 2024.