Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty assured of medal at World Championships; maintain India's 14-year streak

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty secured a medal at the World Championships in Paris by defeating Malaysian duo and their nemesis Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the men's doubles quarterfinals on Friday. The world No. 3 pair won 21-12, 21-19 in 43 minutes, avenging their previous losses to the Malaysian opponents.This victory marks their second World Championships medal after their 2022 bronze, continuing India's streak of podium finishes since 2011.The Asian Games champions will face 11th seeds Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi of China in the semifinals.The match came after PV Sindhu's exit in the women's singles quarterfinals, putting additional pressure on the Indian duo to secure a medal for their country.The victory was particularly significant as Chia and Soh had previously defeated the Indians in Singapore and China this year, as well as crushing their Olympic medal hopes in Paris last year.Chirag started strong with a drive-serve winner, followed by a 59-shot rally that ended with his thundering mid-court smash, putting India ahead 4-2.The Indians dominated the first game, leading 11-5 at the mid-game interval after Satwik's skillful cross-lift.Despite the Malaysians winning a 49-shot rally, the Indians maintained control and secured the first game with aggressive returns.The second game saw the Indians take a commanding 10-5 lead, showcasing their sharp serves and powerful backcourt smashes.Their strategic gameplay and varied attacks helped build a comfortable 17-12 lead, though the Malaysians showed resilience with a spectacular 41-shot exchange.The match tensed up as the Malaysians narrowed the gap to 18-19, winning 8 of 10 points in a late comeback attempt.In the crucial final moments, Chirag's net play secured a match point, and Satwik's drive serve set up the winning point as Aaron's return sailed wide.The victory is particularly meaningful given the challenges the pair faced this season, including Satwik's health issues, Chirag's back injury, and Satwik's personal loss of his father in February.Despite these setbacks, they reached the semifinals at the Malaysia and India Open in January and made quarter-final appearances at the Singapore Open, China Open, and Indonesia Open.The win ensures India's continued medal streak at the World Championships, which began with Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa's bronze in 2011.