Thailand Open 2019: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty progress to the semi-finals, other Indians out 

The men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty moved into the semi-finals of Super 350 Thailand Open being played at Bangkok on Friday.

However, Sai Praneeth lost to Kanta Tsuneyama of Japan in two straight games by 18-21, 12-21. The first game was a good contest between both the players as they fought for each point before Praneeth took a slender 11-10 lead. After the interval, the Indian committed some unforced errors and lost the first game by 18-21.

Sai Praneeth is out.

Tsuneyama played with aggression in the 2nd game and had a 7-3 lead. At the interval, the Japanese led 11-9. After the break, Japanese player never gave a chance to the Indian to comeback into the game and won the second game easily by 21-12.

Rankireddy, Shetty live on

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Choi SoiGyu and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea in three grueling games by 21-17, 17-21, 21-19 to move into the semi-finals. It was a great start by the Indian pair who played with aggression and dominated the South Korean pair. At the interval, Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty led 11-7. After the break, Choi and Seo asserted themselves and tried to make a comeback, but the Indian pair held their nerves to win the first set by 21-17.

In the second game, the South Korean pair took the lead before Indians came back strongly to level the score at 10-10. At the interval, the Indian pair had a slender 11-10. After the interval, Rankireddy and Shetty were not comfortable with the net placements made by the opponents and committed some unforced errors to lose the second game by 17-21 as the match entered a decider.

In the final and deciding game, the South Koreans started well, taking an 8-4 lead. Rankireddy and Shetty came back strongly to level the score at 8-8. At the interval, Choi and Seo had a slender 11-10 lead. After the interval, both pairs fought for each point and were level at 19-19.

The Indian pair held their nerves with the game and match swinging in both directions and took two points in succession to win the game by 21-19 and also the match. They will now take on Ko Sung-hyun and Shin Baek Cheol of South Korea in the semi-finals.

Challenge ends in mixed doubles

Ashwini Ponnappa.

The mixed doubles pair of Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa lost to the third-ranked Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan in two straight games by 13-21, 15-21. It was a dominating display by the higher-ranked Japanese pair.

In the first game, the Japanese played with aggression and made life tough for the Indian pair and took an 11-5 lead. After the interval also, Rankireddy and Ponnappa could not provide any resistance and lost the game by 13-21.

Ponnappa and Rankireddy had a decent start to the 2nd game taking an early 7-3 lead. However, higher-ranked Japanese pair showed their class to overtake the Indian pair and held an 11-9 lead at the interval. After the interval, Watanabe and Higashino were too strong for Indian pair and won the match easily and game at 21-15.