The only silver lining for Indian badminton fans on Thursday at the Indonesia Open 2025 was the stellar performance of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
The day began on a disappointing note as the mixed doubles pair of Sathish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath crashed out without much resistance against the Thai duo. Next, PV Sindhu, despite a spirited effort in the opening game, fell short against Pornpawee Chochuwong. Soon after, the women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also bowed out against a Japanese duo. With India’s campaign hanging by a thread, all hopes rested on Satwik and Chirag.
And the ‘Brothers of Destruction’ delivered under pressure. Sat-Chi showcased their fighting spirit and grit, edging past the Danish pair of Frederik and Rasmus in a three-game thriller to storm into the quarter-finals of the Super 1000 event.
Men’s Doubles: Sat-Chi storm into the quarter-finals
When the former World No. 1 duo stepped onto the court in Jakarta, the biggest challenge was to keep India’s hopes alive at the Indonesia Open 2025—and they delivered. Satwik-Chirag defeated Denmark’s Rasmus and Frederik in a thrilling Round of 16 match, winning 16-21, 21-18, 22-20.
In the first game, the Danish pair started stronger. Sat-Chi fought hard and stayed close at 15-16, but lost four consecutive points after that and went down 16-21.
In the second game, the pressure was on the Indian duo. Both pairs exchanged points in a neck-and-neck battle that stood at 13-13. That’s when Sat-Chi stepped up, scoring five straight points and taking control. They closed the game 21-18, pushing the match into a decider.
The third game was a rollercoaster. Sat-Chi were 14-17 down, and after that they showed remarkable composure to level the score at 17-all. The Danes again pulled ahead and reached game point, but the Indian duo held their nerve, raised their level, and clinched the game 22-20—sealing a dramatic win and booking their spot in the quarter-finals of this Super 1000 event.
Speaking to BWF media after the match, Satwik said, “It wasn’t our best day. It wasn’t about the strategy—we just gave away too many easy points, maybe 15 to 20 like that. They didn’t win those, but we lost them through our own mistakes.”
“We weren’t fully focused, didn’t feel present on court. But we kept believing, taking it one point at a time. The coaches kept telling us, ‘Stay calm, it’s okay even if you lose. Just relax.’ So we stayed composed and kept going,” he added.
Up Next – Satwik/Chirag vs Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun
Women’s Singles: Sindhu falls short against Chochuwong
PV Sindhu went down fighting against World No. 8 Pornpawee Chochuwong in the Round of 16, losing 22-20, 10-21, 18-21.
The experienced Indian shuttler claimed the first game—trailing 10-16 at one point, she fought back with six consecutive points to level it at 16-all. Chochuwong regained the lead and even reached game point at 20-19, but Sindhu held her nerve to take the game 22-20.
However, in the second game, Sindhu couldn’t offer much resistance to the sixth-seeded Thai player and lost 10-21.
The decider began on a tight note with both players going neck and neck. Post the interval, Sindhu produced some fine shots to take a 15-11 lead, but Chochuwong staged a strong comeback in the final stretch to seal the match with a 21-18 win in the third game.
Mixed Doubles: Poor show by Sathish-Aadya
Sathish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath, who delivered a stunning performance in their Round of 32 match, fell short today against the sixth-seeded Thai duo, Dechapol and Supissara.
The Indian mixed doubles pair were completely outplayed in the second round, losing 7-21, 11-21 in just 25 minutes, without offering any resistance.
Women’s Doubles: TreGa fall short
In women’s doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand lost to Japan’s Fukushima and Matsumoto in straight games, 13-21, 22-24.
The Japanese pair completely dominated the first game. In the second, the Indian duo put up a strong fight and tried their best to force a decider, but Fukushima and Matsumoto held their nerve and closed the match.