 "With 25th Grand Slam looking increasingly uncertain, Novak Djokovic could fulfill another dream next year")
 "Handshake Row: India didn’t do anything out of ordinary, athletes have often registered protests like this")
Report: Error-prone PV Sindhu suffered a demoralising defeat in the quarterfinals while Sameer Verma’s gallant fight too ended in agony at the Toyota Thailand Open on Friday. However, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy claimed twin wins in mixed and men’s doubles quarterfinals along with Ashwini Ponnappa and Chirag Shetty to keep India’s flag fluttering at the BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournament. Sindhu looked a pale shadow of the player who had won the world championship gold in 2019 as she committed too many unforced errors to go down 13-21 9-21 against home favourite Ratchanok Inthanon. “I made a lot of unforced errors and I think that I gave away easy points. I didn’t play my best today. It wasn’t my day,” a crestfallen Sindhu said. In men’s singles, Sameer’s giant-killing run also came to an end after he squandered a match point to go down 13-21 21-19 20-22 to world no. 3 Anders Antonsen of Denmark in a quarterfinal contest. With the defeat of Sindhu and Sameer, Indian challenge in singles competition ended in the tournament. The doubles players, however, gave fans something to cheer as Satwik and Ashwini upstaged world no. 6 pair of Peng Soon Chan and Liu Ying Goh of Malaysia 18-21 24-22 22-20 after toiling hard for one hour and 15 minutes. “We have played them three times. We have won twice and lost once. We were confident. We knew our main strength would be our attack. They were under pressure. We kept fighting. We had our chances and never messed up,” Satwik said. Later in the day, Satwik and Chirag saw off another Malaysian pair of Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi 21-18 24-22 in 37 minutes. Earlier Sindhu, a medal contender at the Tokyo Olympics, looked awfully out of form as she was all at sea against Ratchanok, a former world champion. “Some of my lifts were going out and going out of control. I was hitting with so much power sometimes. I should have controlled things a lot more. If I had won the first game, I think things would have been comparatively different,” she said. Ratchanok, who had lost to Sindhu in their last three meetings, came out with a positive intent and eked out a three-point lead early on even as Sindhu failed to control the length, hitting long and wide. The Thai soon grabbed a four-point advantage at the first-game interval with Sindhu failing to control her shots. The Indian looked to force the pace after the break and caught up at 13-13. However, it was a one-way traffic after that as Ratchanok blew the Indian away with eight straight points to pocket the opening game. The change of sides didn’t bring any change of fortunes for Sindhu as she trailed 1-7 at one stage before going into the break seven points behind her rival. After the breather, Ratchanok eased to 19-7 before grabbing a massive 12 match point advantage. The Thai missed a point due to a misjudgement at the backline before sealing the match with another precise return. In the other singles match, a tentative Sameer was left to do the catch up act in the opening game as Antonsen zoomed to 5-0 before grabbing a six-point advantage at the break. He soon took the opening game when the Indian went wide again. Lagging 1-5, Sameer managed to claw back with four straight points in the second game. A brilliant cross court net shot helped the Indian to keep it 7-7 but Antonsen held a slender one-point lead at the break. Sameer kept breathing down his neck and grabbed a game point with an onrushing return. He roared back into the contest when Antenson faltered at the net. In the decider, the duo was 5-5 at one stage before Sameer moved to three-point advantage at the interval. Antonsen drew parity at 13-13 after Sameer erred twice at the net. In a battle of nerves, Sameer grabbed the match point first with a deep return but found the net next as it was 20-all. Antonsen then grabbed a match point with a precise return at the fore court and sealed the match with a similar shot. With inputs from PTI
Highlights, Thailand Open Super 1000, badminton score and results: Satwiksairaj, Ashwini lose in semi-final
Catch all the updates from matches involving Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty and Ashwini Ponnappa in Thailand Open Super 1000 badminton tournament
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Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponappa’s loss ends India’s campaign at the Thailand Open 2021.
They did well to take the contest to the final game but the Thai pair of Sapsiree Taerattanachai and Dechapol Puavaranukroh had the last laugh and claimed a 22-20, 18-21, 21-12 win.
Earlier in the day, India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty had lost 18-21 18-21 to the Malaysian pair of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
That’s it from us today! We hope you enjoyed our coverage.
Third game: Rankireddy-Ponnapa 12-21 Dechapol-Sapsiree
It’s all over. Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai are through to the mixed doubles final with 20-22, 21-18, 12-21 victory over Satwiksairaj and Ashwini Ponnapa. The Indian pair made it hard but lost the momentum in the final game.
Third game: Rankireddy-Ponnapa 11-15 Dechapol-Sapsiree
Dechapol and Sapsiree are the upping the ante. They now have a four point lead. Could it be decisive?
Third game: Rankireddy-Ponnapa 9-11 Dechapol-Sapsiree
Change of ends and it’s the Thai pair who have the advantage. The Indians are not making it easy for their opponents. This will be one tough fight
Third game: Rankireddy-Ponnapa 4-5 Dechapol-Sapsiree
Nice opening rally to begin the third game. The Thai pair takes a 3-0 lead but the Indians do well to win back four points.
Second game: Rankireddy-Ponnapa 21-18 Dechapol-Sapsiree
Brilliant from the Indians. Again they take the game deep and win three consecutive points to force a decider.
Second game: Rankireddy-Ponnapa 12-12 Dechapol-Sapsiree
Is the comeback on? Good work by the Indian pair to level the scoreline.
Second game: Rankireddy-Ponnapa 6-11 Dechapol-Sapsiree
Just too good from Dechapol and Sapsiree. Five point advantage for them. Indians need to pull off something special here.
Second game: Rankireddy-Ponnapa 2-5 Dechapol-Sapsiree
The top seed Thai pair again took an early lead in the second game. Unforced errors not helping the Indians.
Rankireddy-Ponnapa 20-22 Dechapol-Sapsiree
The Indians did well to take the game deep. They saved three game points to make it 20-20. Unforced errors from Ashwini and Satwiksairaj resulted in Dechapol and Sapsiree taking the first game.
Rankireddy-Ponnapa 14-18 Dechapol-Sapsiree
The Thai pair are going strong. They are favourites to clinch the first game.
Rankireddy-Ponnapa 10-11 Dechapol-Sapsiree
So far, the first game is neck and neck. Terrific rally as the Thai pair clinched the 10th point. The Indians made it level but an unforced error from Ponappa gave the lead to their opponents.
Rankireddy-Ponnapa 5-4 Dechapol-Sapsiree
The Indian pair have taken an slender lead. Satwiksairaj with a good smash for the fifth point.
Indians are in action now.
Top seed in mixed doubles Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai take on Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa.
Wow Tai Tzu Ying!
She saves four match points against Ratchanok Intanon to win the deciding game 23-21.
She is through to the final after 12-21, 21-12, 23-21 victory.
Tai Tzu Ying makes a comeback
She claims the second game 21-12.
It’s one game apiece!
Vittinghus through to the finals!
He beats Antonsen 21-19, 21-8. Good opening game but the second one was one sided.
Vittinghus continues to dominate,
He takes an 11-4 lead at mid-game interval of second game. Antonsen isn’t fully fit physically. So credit to him for carrying on.
Vittinghus turns the tables
He finishes the rally with ferocious smash and takes the opening game 21-19. Antonsen is stunned!
Antonsen with early lead in first game
Antonsen takes 11-9 lead over Vittinghus at mid-game interval. Bit of a fightback by Vittinghus towards the end but Antonsen continues to have the upper hand.
21-9, 21-16! That’s it in the first semi-final of the mixed doubles.
South Korea’s SEO Seung Jae and Chae YuJung beat Malaysia’s HOO Pang Ron and Cheah Yee See to reach final of mixed doubles!
Good fight from Malaysians in the second game but the Koreans were just too good today
1st SF, mixed-doubles!
Tight contest!
Good fightback by Malaysia’s HOO Pang Ron and Cheah Yee See in the second game. At the interval in second game, they trail by just 2 points but South Korea’s SEO Seung Jae and Chae YuJung have to work hard for the win here. Score 11-9.
1st SF, mixed-doubles!
South Korea’s SEO Seung Jae and Chae YuJung take the opening game 21-9. Malaysians fought back after being down 2-17 at one stage with back to back points but the gap was too much to fill.
1st SF, mixed-doubles!
11-2!
South Korea’s SEO Seung Jae and Chae YuJung running away with the opening with lead of 9 points. HOO Pang Ron and Cheah Yee See aim fightback after interval.
Carolina continues to dominate
She leads 11-7 at mid game interval of second game. Can An Se Young turn things around here?
Carolina continues right where she left off after the mid-game interval.
The former world No 1 takes the opening game 21-19.
Koreans draw first blood
Kim, Kong take the opening game 21-17 against Malaysia’s Chow, Lee.
Fourth match of the day.
Korea’s Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong will take on the Malaysian pair of Chow Mei Kuan and Lee Meng Yean.
That’s it! The doubles campaign of Satwiksairaj and Chiraj comes to end. They lose 18-21, 18-21 to Malaysia’s Chia, Soh.
The Malaysian pair was always a step ahead of the Indians.
17-11
Malaysia’s Chia, Soh firmly in the driver’s seat at the moment.
Malaysia’s Chia, Soh head into second game’s interval at 11-8.
Must win game this for the Indian pair of Satwiksairaj and Chirag, They are already a game down.