Indian badminton men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost their most anticipated match against world no-1 men’s double’s pair Marcus Gideon and Kevin Sukamuljo of Indonesia in their second group stage of the men’s doubles badminton competition at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday. The Indians pushed the Indonesians in the initial exchanges with their quick returns and powerful drives, but finally, the Indonesian duo succeeded with a score of 21-13, 21-12.
After the phenomenal win over the world No. 3 Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin of the Chinese Taipei, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty was up against the top-ranked men’s doubles pair in the world at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza.
Known for their dynamic and power pack playing regime, Marcus Gideon dominated with some smart returns that stretched the Indians, whereas Kevin Sukamuljo relied on his brute power to pocket the points. From 7-7, the Indonesians raced to an 11-7 lead at the break before opening up an 18-11 advantage.
The match was at a halt due to medical attention needed for Chirag Shetty, which occurred due to a collision with his partner. But as the game resumed, the Indonesians took just 17 minutes to wrap up the game to a win.
The Indians, ranked 10th in the world, were quick to get off the blocks in the second game. Saiwiksairaj Rankireddy fought back with his drives from the backcourt as the Indians matched the Indonesians in the initial exchanges of the second game.
With this win, the Indonesian Men’s doubles duo has sealed their place in the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics. If India wants to make it to the last eight, they need to beat Britain’s Ben Lane and Sean Vendy in their final group game on Tuesday.
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