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In a battle between the top two seeds, India's star men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on Sunday finished the Malaysia Open 2024 as runner-ups after defeat against China's Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in men's doubles final in Kuala Lumpur.
Satwiksairaj and Chirag, second in the world badminton rankings, suffered a heartbreaking loss to the world No. 1 Chinese pair 21-9, 18-21, 17-21 in a hard-fought final that lasted for one hour and 58 minutes. The Indian duo opened Sunday's final on the front foot, playing aggressive badminton to grab an 11-4 lead at the break. The Indian badminton players collaborated effectively and exploited openings in the Chinese defence to gain an advantage. The Indians maintained their high-pressing game after the resumption, and unforced blunders by Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang only aided their case. The Indian duo finished the opening game in 13 minutes and took the lead. The world's number one Chinese combination was expected to respond in the second game, and they delivered. Keng and Chang were more decisive in their shot selection and built up a five-point lead before the break. Following the resumption, Chirag-Satwik proceeded to chip away at the Chinese duo's advantage, reducing it to a single point at 19-18. Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang barely held on to force a decisive game. Chirag set the tone for the final with a ferocious smash, and Satwiksairaj followed suit with one of his own as the Indians made their intentions known early. The Asian Games winners brought out the heavy guns for the occasion, leading 10-3 at one point. Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, on the other hand, responded magnificently and tied the score at 12-all before gaining the lead at 14-13. Keng and Chang then grabbed control of the match, finishing it in little under two hours. (ANI)
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