Watch highlights:
Men’s doubles: After all the chaos in men’s doubles this week (and last), it is only Satwik-Chirag in the last four who will be seeded. The other two quarterfinals are between unseeded pairs. Indians will face Choi Sol Gyu and Kim Won Ho of Korea, who defeated Ong/Teo.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 21-18 Hoki/Kobayashi: Here’s how the second game panned out. Mighty close affair and the Indians pulled ahead just in time at the end. What a win.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 21-18 Hoki/Kobayashi: What a result. For the second straight meeting, the Indian duo have defeated the 2021 World Champs. Big celebrations at the end, especially from Boe who is as pumped as the Indians.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 20-18 Hoki/Kobayashi: Great touch from Satwik, and with the net’s help two match points.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 19-18 Hoki/Kobayashi: CHIRAG! Superb defence again and he finds the gap between his opponents.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 18-18 Hoki/Kobayashi: That is a stunning piece of defence by Chirag! Just guides Kobayashi’s smash into empty space.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 16-18 Hoki/Kobayashi: Timely racket-head change from Chirag to get the serve back but he gives it right away.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 15-17 Hoki/Kobayashi: The top seeds get the serve back after another superfast flat exchange. One of the best rallies of the match next up, Satwik with relentless smashing but Hoki showing why he is one of the best defenders of the game.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 15-15 Hoki/Kobayashi: Satwik! Lovely flick serve.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 14-15 Hoki/Kobayashi: Solid 1-2 from the Indians, with Chirag pushing Koba back and Satwik finding the empty space. The Indians need a run of points here... and get one on serve with superb defence by Chirag.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 12-14 Hoki/Kobayashi: Superb reflex from Chirag at the net.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 11-14 Hoki/Kobayashi: Service fault called on Satwik. It was a big problem for the Indians last week in Denmark.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 11-13 Hoki/Kobayashi: Looks like the string went on Chirag’s racket but he got the smash in on time.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 10-13 Hoki/Kobayashi: The world No 1 pair are staying ahead in this. Everything is quick at the moment.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 8-11 Hoki/Kobayashi: The top seeds have the lead into the interval. Chirag had the chance there at the net but the push to the backcourt goes long.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 8-10 Hoki/Kobayashi: score corrected. Satwik’s smash and Chirag’s kill at the net gets the serve back for the Indians.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 7-10 Hoki/Kobayashi: And the first time in this game that someone has a 2-point lead... and it is now three. World No 1 on the charge somewhat.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 6-6 Hoki/Kobayashi: Absolutely nothing to choose between the two pairs at the moment, all fast and furious.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21, 4-4 Hoki/Kobayashi: All level at the start of the second game.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21 Hoki/Kobayashi: ‘Don’t look at me for solutions, you know what to do. Keep it simple. Keep it quick. Keep it to the left side of the court,’ says Boe as players regroup. He adds a few more tactical tips. ‘The only reason they are in it, is because we are trying to do a little bit too much.’
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 23-21 Hoki/Kobayashi: GAME, SATCHI! Quite a few bum-slaps there. Satwik to Chirag, Boe to Satwik. That was huge, to take the lead. Squandering game points would have been tough to recover from.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 22-21 Hoki/Kobayashi: Getting to the point where after all the game points, Hoki/Koba might convert their first.... but the Indians have another chance here.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 21-21 Hoki/Kobayashi: Chirag does well front court and Satwik with a well judged leave (eventually) and the Indians get serve back for another game point. But Satwik’s forehand into the net and we are level again.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 20-20 Hoki/Kobayashi: Chirag nets the return and we are all level.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 20-19 Hoki/Kobayashi: A point here for the world No 1 will make things nervy for the Indians... and it indeed does. Kobayashi nails the smash this time.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 20-18 Hoki/Kobayashi: A rushed shot by Chirag and Boe is a little agitated on the coaching chair. One game point saved. Make that two as Satwik sends a overhead clear wide, off balance.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 20-16 Hoki/Kobayashi: A sharp rally that ends with a Kobayashi error and four game points for SatChi.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 17-15 Hoki/Kobayashi: A fabulous rally finished brilliantly by Chirag at the net!
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 15-13 Hoki/Kobayashi: A couple of lovely crosscourt winners from each pair in this phase as the battle heats up. Satwik with a booming kill from the net to take India’s lead to 2 again.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 11-9 Hoki/Kobayashi: Another fine rally, with the Indians adjusting well to a net chord and staying alive in the point but lift goes wide. The net chord comes in handy next for the Indians as they take the lead.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 10-8 Hoki/Kobayashi: A rally that the Indians dictated... but an attempted smash is into the net.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 9-7 Hoki/Kobayashi: After that one long rally, it’s all been short and sharp.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag 4-3 Hoki/Kobayashi: This won’t be too typical of this match, one imagines. A long patient rally from both pairs after six rather short points to start off. The Indians won that point.
Men’s doubles QF Satwik/Chirag vs Hoki/Kobayashi: Here’s a look at the match-ups. The Indians hold a 2-1 H2H in fact vs this brilliant JPN pair.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the French Open Super 750 badminton tournament in Paris.
It is time for Takuro Hoki / Yugo Kobayashi [1] Vs Satwiksairaj Rankireddy Vs Chirag Shetty [7]. The rematch of the 2022 World Championships quarterfinal. The Indians had dethroned the Japanese pair who had won the 2021 World Championships gold.
Screenshots in the blog courtesy BWF / Viacom 18 / Tournament Software