Defending champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were knocked out of the Asian Games men’s doubles badminton competition after the fourth-seeded Indian pair suffered a 21-12, 19-21, 14-21 defeat to Thailand’s Sukphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul in the Round of 32 on Friday.
Satwik and Chirag appeared firmly in control at the start, racing to an 11-5 advantage in the opening game. The Indians continued to dictate the rallies and wrapped up the first game 21-12 in 20 minutes.
The Thai combination, however, turned the contest around in the second game. After moving ahead 8-7, Sukphun and Pakkapon stayed within striking distance despite India levelling at 8-8 and later at 11-11. The Thai pair then pulled away to 17-14 before converting their advantage into a 21-19 win.
With the match level, the Indian pair struggled to regain the authority they had shown in the opening game. The Thais maintained an attacking approach and moved 18-14 ahead before closing out the decider 21-14.
The result ended the Asian Games campaign of the reigning champions at the first hurdle and marked a disappointing outcome for the Indian pair, who had entered the tournament among the leading contenders in the men’s doubles draw.
For Sukphun and Pakkapon, the comeback secured a place in the next round after three games and completed a significant upset over the defending champions.
