Satwiksairaj-Chirag, mixed doubles pair Ishaan-Tanisha off to winning start at Badminton Asia Championships

The men's doubles pair of Chirag Shetty-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, and mixed doubles pair of Ishaan Bhatnagar-Tanisha Crasto got off to a winning start at the Badminton Asia Championships in Manila, Philippines on Tuesday.

The six-day continental championships are being organized by the Badminton Asia Confederation under the auspices of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

India’s top doubles pair Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj advanced to the second round with a straight-game 21-13, 21-9 win against Apiluk Gaterahong and Natchanon Tulamok.

The third-seeded Chirag and Satwik made light work of their Thai opponents by wrapping up their men’s doubles first-round match in just 27 minutes.

The world No. 7 Indian duo dominated against the Thai pair of Gaterahong and Tulamok by leading from start to finish. Chirag and Satwik combined well and unleashed a series of powerful smashes to oust the world No. 270 Thai combination.

Chirag and Satwik to face Japan’s Akiro Koga and Taichi Saito in second round

Chirag and Satwik will lock horns against Japan’s Akiro Koga and Taichi Saito in the second round of the Badminton Asia Championships on Thursday. It will be their first-ever meeting with the Japanese duo, who are ranked No. 23 in the world.

Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto advance to second round

Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto also entered the second round, of the mixed doubles event, on the first day of the competition.

The young Indian duo, who are world No. 56, prevailed over Hong Kong’s Law Cheuk Him and Yeung Nga Ting 21-15, 21-17 in half-an-hour.

Winner of the Syed Modi tournament earlier this year, Ishaan and Tanisha were always in control against Law Cheuk Him and Yeung Nga Ting. The Hong Kong duo are ranked 132nd in the world.

Barring Chirag-Satwik and Ishaan-Tanisha, the rest of the Indian players crashed out in the opening rounds itself.

The duo of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala fought hard. But eventually, they could not get the better of Kang Minhyuk and Kim Wonho of South Korea 10-21, 21-19, 16-21.

MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila went down fighting against fourth seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto of Indonesia in the men’s doubles.

Similarly, mixed doubles combination Venkat Gaurav Prasad and Juhi Dewangan failed to cross the first-round hurdle of the Badminton Asia Championships. They lost to Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianiti of Indonesia.

Badminton Asia Championships: Indian Results (Round 1)

Men’s doubles

3-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty bt Apiluk Gaterahong-Natchanon Tulamok (Thailand) 21-13, 21-9 (27 minutes)

Krishna Prasad Garaga-Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala lost to Kang Minhyuk-Kim Wonho (South Korea) 10-21, 21-19, 16-21 (53 minutes)

MR Arjun-Dhruv Kapila lost to 4-Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto (Indonesia) 16-21, 22-24 (35 minutes)

Mixed Doubles

Ishaan Bhatnagar-Tanisha Crasto bt Law Cheuk Him-Yeung Nga Ting (Hong Kong) 21-15, 21-17 (30 minutes).

Venkat Gaurav Prasad-Juhi Dewangan lost to 4-Praveen Jordan-Melati Daeva Oktavianti (Indonesia) 9-21, 13-21 (19 minutes).

Badminton Asia Championships: Indians in action on Wednesday (Round 1)

Men’s singles

5-Lakshya Sen vs Li Shi Feng (China)

7-Kidambi Srikanth vs Ng Tze Yong (Malaysia)

B Sai Praneeth vs 4-Jonatan Christie (Indonesia)

Women’s singles

4-PV Sindhu vs Pai Yu Po (Chinese Taipei)

Saina Nehwal vs Sim Yujin (Korea)

Aakarshi Kashyap vs 1-Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)

Malvika Bansod vs Yeo Jia Min (Singapore)

Women’s doubles

Simran Singhi-Ritika Thaker vs 7-Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan (Malaysia)

K Ashwini Bhat-Shikha Gautam vs Anna Ching Yik Cheong-Teoh Mei Xing (Malaysia).