Indonesia Open: Satwik-Chirag survive scares to enter quarters; Sindhu crashes out

Satwik-Chirag beat Denmark’s Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard 16-21, 21-18, 22-20 in a contest that lasted one hour and eight minutes in the BWF Super 1000 tournament.

Earlier, India’s campaign in singles ended on a disappointing note after two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu crashed out following a loss to Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong in the Round of 16.

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Sindhu started brightly and recovered from 10-16 down to take the opening game. However, Chochuwong responded emphatically in the second, surging to a 10-point lead before closing it out 21-10.

The decider witnessed a close contest with both shuttlers going neck and neck for the most part, before Chochuwong pulled away in the final stretch to seal the match 21-18.

After the match, the 29-year-old Indian reflected on her performance, admitting that while she fought hard, it was a match she should have won. The two-time Olympic medallist also expressed gratitude to the Indonesian fans for their unwavering support throughout the tournament.

“Fought hard. These are the ones that sting. Long 3 setter that I should have won. But the work’s been solid, and I’m feeling so much better,” Sindhu wrote on X.

Earlier, Sindhu edged past her long-time rival Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in a thrilling one-hour and 19-minute women’s singles match, winning 22-20, 21-23, 21-15. After the match, Sindhu remembered her past meetings with Okuhara in 14 years and the bond they shared off the court.

“14 years. 20 matches. From my longest to the shortest World Championship finals — always with her. We’ve shared wins, losses, and a rivalry only we understand. Keep fighting, Nozomi. The court’s never quite the same without you,” she wrote on X.

Meanwhile, in women’s doubles, the Indian duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand lost 13-21, 22-24 to Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto of Japan in the round of 16 stage.

The mixed doubles pair of Sathish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath also exited after a straight-game loss against Thailand’s Dechapol Puavarankuroh and Supissara Paewsampran. The scoreline read 21-7, 21-12 in favour of the Thai shuttlers, who wrapped up the match in just 25 minutes.