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Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty produced a superb comeback under pressure to reach the semifinals of the China Masters, overcoming Denmarks Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen 21-13, 16-21, 21-18 in a hard-fought quarterfinal on Friday in Sehnzhen.
The Indian duo made a flying start, racing to a 15-5 lead in the opening game before wrapping it up comfortably. The Danes responded strongly in the second, keeping the game tight before winning seven of the final eight points to turn a one-point deficit into a five-point advantage and force a decider. The third game followed a similar pattern, with Astrup and Rasmussen holding a 17-15 lead and appearing to have the upper hand in the rallies. However, Satwik and Chirag raised their level when it mattered most, winning six of the final seven points to seal the match and book their place in the semifinals. Meanwhile, former world no. 1 Kidambi Srikanths China Masters campaign came to an end in the quarterfinals after he went down 16-21, 16-21 to Hong Kongs Lee Cheuk Yiu. Srikanth showed flashes of momentum in both games but was unable to sustain his challenge as Lee maintained his composure to close out the match in straight games. Earlier in the tournament, Srikanth and the star men's doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty delivered sensational performances to storm into the quarterfinals of the China Masters Super 750 on Thursday. Srikanth pulled off a stunning upset over Canadian World No. 9 and recent World Championship bronze medallist Victor Lai, winning 21-18, 21-19. In mens doubles, former World No. 1 pair Satwik-Chirag held off France's Toma Junior Popov and Christo Popov 21-17, 22-24, 21-9. The world No. 13 Lakshya suffered a 21-14, 21-7 defeat to Canada's world No. 9 Victor Lai in a 38-minute contest. The result capped another inconsistent outing for Lakshya this season. (ANI)
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