India’s premier men’s doubles team, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, made an early exit from the Indonesia Open Super 1000 tournament after falling short against Malaysia’s Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun in the quarterfinals on Friday.
The Indian pair, former world No. 1 and defending champions, were beaten 19-21, 16-21 in a 43-minute battle in Jakarta. The loss marked the first time the Malaysian duo had defeated Satwik and Chirag in five encounters and brought an end to India's campaign in the tournament.
Struggling to find rhythm, the Indian pair appeared out of sorts with several service and return errors. Their defence lacked sharpness, and the Malaysians consistently forced them into rushed decisions and awkward court positions.
A few early mistakes from Satwik helped the Malaysians gain a 9-7 edge, which they extended to an 11-9 lead at the mid-game break. Though Satwik and Chirag briefly equalised at 11-all with some aggressive flat rallies, Man and Tee pulled ahead again to lead 15-12. The Indians levelled the score at 17-17 following a couple of Malaysian errors but failed to capitalise in the closing moments.
A sharp return from Tee gave the Malaysians a 19-17 lead. Chirag briefly offered hope by smashing a loose net shot, but Satwik’s net error handed the game point to the Malaysians, which they quickly converted.
Switching ends for the second game, the Indian duo looked unsettled once again and quickly fell behind 3-7. The Malaysians, who previously won the Malaysia Masters and Indonesia Masters this year, continued to dominate with sharp, flat shots, extending the lead to 15-9.
Satwik and Chirag managed a late surge, closing the gap to 16-18 with some strong attacking play. However, the Malaysians held firm—Man controlled the net brilliantly, and Tee’s deceptive shot at 20-16 sealed four match points, which they converted to secure a semifinal berth.