3.18 pm: Here are the stats from the third game: the Korean duo did not know what hit them.
3.16 pm: To come back from 12-18 down in the 2nd game, even if they ended up losing it, showed what these two are capable of when they get into the groove. A tough test awaits in the final against third seeds Li / Liu from China.
3.12 pm: What a moment for the young Indian duo! Satwiksairaj and Chirag Shetty have beaten the former world champions in thrilling fashion to reach their first final at a Super 500+ level event.
Third game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 24 - 22, 9 - 21 Satwik / Chirag:
BRILLIANT WIN! Satwik and Chirag are pumped up. They are now one win away from winning their first big title. What a performance.
Third game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 24 - 22, 9 - 20 Satwik / Chirag:
Good leave from Chirag at the baseline. 12 match points for the Indians! And then Chirag makes a service error again. Heh.
Third game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 24 - 22, 6 - 18 Satwik / Chirag:
The Koreans have found their footing now but too little too late? The former world champions are not giving up without a fight... and just as we say that, a service error! Satwik has the serve back at 19-6.
Third game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 24 - 22, 4 - 17 Satwik / Chirag:
Some wonderful defending from the backcourt by the Indians as the errors pile up from the Koreans. The Indians have the serve back at 4-16 and then a long rally follows. Ends with another Korean error. Four points away, the Indians!
Third game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 24 - 22, 3 -13 Satwik / Chirag:
EIGHT STRAIGHT POINTS FOR THE INDIANS! Nothing going right for the former world champions in the decider. The finally have the service back at 3-13.
Third game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 24 - 22, 2 -11 Satwik / Chirag:
WOW. Just wow. In just 7 minutes, we have the final change of ends! Satwik and Chirag have raced ahead to a 11-2 lead. This is brilliant from the young Indian pair.
Third game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 24 - 22, 2 - 8 Satwik / Chirag:
Satwik-Chirag were trailing 12-18 and then 16-20 but they fought back to create 2 match points! They might have lost the 2nd game but momentum on their side I think. And it shows in the decider as they have raced ahead! Brilliant from both the Indian players in the third game so far. Keeping the rallies short and precise.
Third game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 24 - 22, 1 -4 Satwik / Chirag:
Good start from the Indians in the decider.
Second game stats: A tremendous fightback from the Indians to force two match points after saving four game points. But the Koreans edged ahead.
Second game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 24 - 22 Satwik / Chirag:
Looked like a trick serve from Ko and it does the trick for the Koreans! Chirag challenges but the serve had landed in. What a game! WE GO INTO A DECIDER.
Second game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 23 - 22 Satwik / Chirag:
The second match point is saved by the Koreans as well and they have their fifth game point after another superb rally. The Indians defended well but couldn’t keep it up under relentless smashing.
Second game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 21 - 22 Satwik / Chirag:
Oh dear. A service error from Chirag and the match point is erased. They have their second soon, this time Chirag with a winner from the backcourt.
Second game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 20 - 21 Satwik / Chirag:
BRILLIANT! Great combination from Satwik and Chirag, ends with the latter hitting the winner down the middle. The youngsters have saved four game points. And now have a match point!
That last rally was 39 shots. Phew. Longest of the match.
Second game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 20 - 19 Satwik / Chirag:
Good defence from Chirag to save another match point. The Indians have the serve back at 18-20. A STUNNING RALLY FOLLOWS! Superb defence from both pairs and the point ends with Shin hitting the shuttle wide. Three game points saved by the Indians!
Second game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 20 - 17 Satwik / Chirag:
Good fortune at the net for the Indian pair, they put their hands up. Would have been game point for the Koreans but instead it’s 16-19. But the Koreans have 4 game points anyway. Chirag saves one of them.
Second game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 19 - 15 Satwik / Chirag:
Ko / Shin push ahead to 18-12. The Indians have the serve back, can they put together a string of points? No, not happening. Big smash from Ko at Chirag’s body. Chirag then nails a smash down the middle to win serve back at 14-19. Satwik does the same to close the gap down to 4.
Second game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 17 - 12 Satwik / Chirag:
The Koreans keeping themselves ahead by three or four points for the most part now... all of a sudden, the Ko / Shin have found another gear. Make that a five-point lead now.
Second game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 14 - 11 Satwik / Chirag:
A booming smash from Satwik breaks the run of points for the Koreans but they win the serve back in no time. Another smash from Satwik at the net helps the Indians reduce deficit to 11-14.
Second game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 13 - 9 Satwik / Chirag:
The Koreans are inching ahead steadily in the second game. Satwik and Chirag missing the lines at the moment.
Second game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 11 - 9 Satwik / Chirag:
The Indians claw back ahead to 8-7 but the Korean pair level things up. A delightful deception from Chirag gives India the lead again. A careless service error from Satwik hands the serve back to the Koreans who inch ahead 10-9. The Koreans apply the pressure well to take a 11-9 lead into the interval: it was the same score in the first game interval as well, can the Indians fight back again??
Second game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 6 - 6 Satwik / Chirag:
The former world champions move ahead 6-4 but Chirag plays a good point from the backcourt before the Indians combine well to force the error from Ko. Topsy turvy start to the second game but there is very little to choose from.
Second game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22, 3 - 3 Satwik / Chirag:
Solid start from the Indian duo to the second game. A couple of quick points followed by a long rally to go up 3-1. But Korean veterans force their way back to level things up 3-3.
First game stats: Brilliant from Satwik and Chirag to hold their nerve after the Koreans were off to a fast start. Satwik playing some neat stuff from the backcourt, Chirag with a couple of big points at the end of the opening game.
First game, Ko / Shin 20 - 22 Satwik / Chirag:
And then Chirag nets a service return! Two nervy points from the youngsters and the game points have come and gone.... but they soon have a third with Chirag nailing a body smash. He nails another smash to close the opening game out! The Indians draw first blood. Brilliant from the two youngsters to hold their nerve.
First game, Ko / Shin 19 - 20 Satwik / Chirag:
A stunning crosscourt drop from Ko at the net but the Indians have two game points after that. Satwik makes a service error! Oh dear. That’s a bad miss. Still game point for India.
First game, Ko / Shin 17 - 18 Satwik / Chirag:
Lucky net chord for the Indians this time and they have a 2-point lead. A bit of confusion between the two results in a point for Ko / Shin and they have the serve back at 16-17. The Indians win the serve back swiftly to make it 18-16. But an error from Chirag at the net keeps the Koreans in the hunt.
First game, Ko / Shin 15 - 16 Satwik / Chirag:
Quick-fire rallies from the pairs, and the scores are level against 14-14. Chirag then pounces on a mishit from Ko to make it 15-15. And then the Indians go into the lead after some smart play from Satwik! Big roar from Chirag there.
First game, Ko / Shin 13 - 13 Satwik / Chirag:
Shetty makes the play this from the net, following up a good smash from Satwik. The Indians level things up after a terrific rally! Chirag doing well to overcome a lucky net chord for the Koreans.
First game, Ko / Shin 13 - 11 Satwik / Chirag:
The pairs exchange points to resume after the break. Satwik’s powerful smash helps the Indians keep the deficit to 1 but the teenager ends a lovely rally with an error from the backcourt to hand the service back to the Koreans.
First game, Ko / Shin 11 - 9 Satwik / Chirag:
Relentless smashing from Satwik from the backcourt, helps the Indians reduce the gap to one but the Koreans take a slender lead into the mid-game break. Shin with a powerful smash down the line that beats Chirag.
First game, Ko / Shin 9 - 7 Satwik / Chirag:
Oh dear, Shetty hits the net trying to hit a smash winner. Bad miss. The Indians had just clawed their way back in before that. Shetty plays a good point at the net to reduce the gap to two.
First game, Ko / Shin 7 - 5 Satwik / Chirag:
Couple of errors from Chirag’s racquet as the Koreans are playing at a very high tempo. Satwik judges a shuttle well at the baseline to win back the serve. Koreans are back in the front after a quickfire exchange but give the serve back with an error. Both pairs making errors aplenty for now.
First game, Ko / Shin 3 - 1 Satwik / Chirag:
Three straight points for the Korean duo after which a service error gives the Indians their first point. Nervy start. No rallies as such yet.
2.04 pm: This Korean pair may be ranked below the Indians but they come with great doubles pedigree. Ko Sung Hyun was world No 1 in the past with the legendary Lee Yong Dae. Shin has been world No in the past. The Korean duo come with plenty of experience individually in doubles. This is by no means an easy task for the young Indians.
2.01 pm: Ko / Shin are ranked 19th in the world while Chirag / Satwik sit three places above them. This is the first time the pair are meeting in the BWF circuit.
1.57 pm: That was a CRAZY women’s doubles match. And it comes to a crazy end, as the Chinese pair win with a rare ace! You don’t see that often in badminton. A marathon match comes to an end and now it is time for Satwik and Chirag to take the court against Ko Sung Hyun / Shin Baek Chol.
1.54 pm: Extraordinary stuff. The Koreans have saved two match points and it’s 20-20 now.
1.46 pm: Here’s a quick recap of the quarterfinal win for Satwik and Chirag.
1.43 pm: The decider between Chinese duo of Li / Du and Korea’s Shin / Lee is turning into quite the see-saw battle! Li / Du have just got their noses ahead at 14-13 at the moment. Doubles badminton at its best!
1.26 pm: “We feel good going into the semifinals. I think we’ve been playing pretty well these last few days and on a good day, I believe we can beat anyone,” Chirag Shetty said about the last four clash.
1.22 pm: It looked like the women’s doubles semifinal was heading for a straight-game finish but the Chinese duo of Li / Du have fought back to force the decider against Korea’s Shin / Lee. The wait continues for Satwik and Chirag behind the scenes.
1.13 pm: Talking after the quarterfinals, Satwik said, “With every tournament we can see our game improving. In today’s match, we knew if we stay positive and confident till the end, we can win and we really played well in the last two points in the end.
“Both of us are making strategies for every point on court and this has helped us to win crucial points which otherwise we have been losing; also staying calm and positive at the end has really worked in our favour,” he added.
1.05 pm: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are the only Indians left in the fray at the Thailand Open Super 500 tournament. Earlier today, in the other men’s doubles semifinals, third seeds Li/Liu of China powered past fifth seeds Watanabe/Endo.
12.50 PM: The Indian pair will feature in a semifinal at a Super 500 or above tournament for the third time. They reached their first semi-final of 2019 on the BWF World Tour circuit. They have won Brazil International Challenge earlier and reached the semis at Denmark Challenge.
12.40 PM: The South Korean pair is ranked three places below the Indians.
It is worth mentioning that the world No 1 duo of Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo and Marcus Fernaldi Gideon were upset in the quarter-final, paving the way for the up and coming Indian pair to go all the way, should they keep up their winning run.
12.35 PM: In the quarters, the Indian shuttlers earned hard-fought victory against South Korea’s Choi Solgyu and Seo Sueng Jae. Here’s the the Match report
12.30 PM: Hello and welcome to live updates of the Thailand Open men’s doubles semi-final. India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty take on Ko Sung Hyun and Shin Baek Cheol for a place in the final. They are playing a semi-final at a Super 500 or above for the third time.