Australian Open 2025: Satwik-Chirag and Lakshya Sen's Contrasting Wins Lead to Quarter-Finals
In a thrilling display of badminton prowess, India's men's doubles duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, breezed into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open 2025 tournament in Sydney on Thursday. Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen, a semi-finalist at Paris 2024, battled through a three-game match to secure his spot in the singles quarter-finals.
Satwik and Chirag, ranked third in men's doubles and top seeds at the BWF Super 500 tournament, showcased their dominance with a 21-18, 21-11 victory over the 50th-ranked Chinese Taipei pair of Su Ching-heng and Wu Guan-Xun in just 37 minutes. The match began with a sluggish start for the Indian duo, trailing 15-9 in the opening game.
However, the reigning Asian Games champions, Satwik-Chirag, stepped up their game and took control. The second game was a one-sided affair, with the Indian pair never conceding the lead, ultimately securing their place in the top eight.
Their next challenge awaits on Friday, as they face the Indonesian fifth seeds, Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Fajar Alfian, in a highly anticipated clash.
Lakshya Sen, ranked 14th in men's singles and the seventh seed, endured a grueling hour-long battle against Chinese Taipei's 27th-ranked Chi Yu-jen, emerging victorious with a score of 21-17, 13-21, 21-13. Chi Yu-jen displayed remarkable resilience, saving seven game points in the first series before falling short in the second game, forcing a decisive third game which Lakshya eventually won.
This victory marks a significant achievement for Lakshya, who had previously faced a setback in the Kumamoto Masters Japan last week.
In other notable matches, Ayush Shetty, ranked 32nd, pulled off a stunning upset by defeating Japan's Kodai Naraoka, currently world No. 9, in a contest lasting one hour and eight minutes. Shetty's impressive performance builds upon his earlier victory over Naraoka at the Hong Kong Open in September.
Ayush Shetty will now face Lakshya Sen in the quarter-finals on Friday, setting the stage for an intriguing Indian showdown.
On the other hand, HS Prannoy, ranked 35th, met his exit from the competition after a 21-19, 21-10 loss to Indonesia's Alwi Farhan, currently ranked 17th. The Indian players, Kidambi Srikanth and Tharun Mannepalli, will also be in action later in the day, competing in the men's singles against Japan's Shogo Ogawa and Chinese Taipei's Lin Chun-Yi, respectively. The outcome of these matches will determine who advances to the next round.
