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New Delhi: India's top men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty got their Hong Kong Open Super 500 campaign off to a winning start on Tuesday. After clinching their second bronze medal at the World Championships in Paris, the World No.8 duo needed three games to get past Taiwan's Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin in their opening round.
Satwik and Chirag looked sharp right from the first rally, dominating the net exchanges and finishing points with authority to seal the opener 21-13. However, their opponents refused to now down and managed to drag the match into a decider after snatching the second game 21-18. The Idnian duo didn't panic and instead regrouped well using their trademark smashes and quick reflexes at the front court to stamp their authority in the third. They wrapped up the contest 21-10 to move into the round of 16.
The eighth seeds will next face the winners of the tie between Japan's Kenya Mitsuhashi/Hiroki Okamura and Thailand's Peeratchai Sukphun/Pakkapon Teeraratsakul, a clash expected to test their consistency further in the tournament.
In the men's singles draw it was a positive day for India as Kiran George battled through qualifying to book his spot in the main draw. The World No. 38 put on a composed display to outclass Malaysia's Cheam June Wei 21-14, 21-13 in his opening qualifier. He then overcame fellow Indian S Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian 21-18, 21-14 in the decisive round to confirm his entry. Kiran now prepares for a tough first-round clash against Singapore's Jia Heng Jason Teh.
Though the heartbreak came for former World No.1 Kidambi Srikanth as he was stunned in his very first round of qualifying by 20-year-old Tharun Mannepalli. Mannepalli showed remarkable grit to win 28-26, 21-13. However, the youngsters campaign came to an abrupt end in the following match as he fell 21-23, 13-21, 18-21 to Malaysia’s fourth seed Justin Hoh despite putting up a spirited fight.
Overall, the day offered a mix of highs and lows for the Indian contingent. The star Indian duo is leading the charge for India again, showcasing why they are among the world's elite while while Kiran’s progress ensures India will have further representation in the men’s singles draw.
