India Open 2024: Sat-Chi's Grit Falls Short Against Korean World Champions

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty faced tough competition against the Republic of Korea’s Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae, the reigning world champions, in the men’s doubles final of the India Open 2024 in New Delhi. Despite being second in the world rankings, the Indian pair lost in a closely contested match with a scoreline of 21-15, 11-21, 18-21 in one hour and five minutes.

This marked Sat-Chi’s second consecutive final appearance in the 2024 badminton season, following their runner-up finish at the Malaysia Open last week, where they were defeated by the world No. 1 pair.

In the India Open final, Chirag-Satwik, the 2022 India Open champions, utilized counter-attacks in the first game, leading 11-9 at the break and securing the game 21-15 in 18 minutes. However, the Korean pair capitalized on the back court in the second game, forcing errors from the Indian duo, who trailed 11-5 at the mid-game interval.

Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae extended their lead to 18-8 in the second game. Despite Sat-Chi’s previous comeback in the Malaysia Open, they couldn’t replicate the performance in the decider. The Korean shuttlers controlled the pace in the third game, leading 11-6 before the break. Although the Indian pair made a late surge, Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae held their nerves, securing a 19-16 lead and ultimately winning the match.

The India Open 2024, the second tournament of the season, provided qualifying ranking points for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The qualification window for badminton started on May 1 last year and will conclude on April 28 this year.

Winners of the India Open 2024 in different categories:
– Men’s singles: Shi Yu Qi (People’s Republic of China)
– Women’s singles: Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei)
– Men’s doubles: Kang Min Hyuk-Seo Seung Jae (South Korea)
– Mixed doubles: Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara (Japan)
– Women’s doubles: Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Thailand)