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IMAGE: Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy of India react as they leave the court after winning their opening Group C match. File Photograph: Ann Wang / ReutersIndian shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will look to hit top gear when they cross swords against Tokyo bronze medallist Malaysian combination of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the men's doubles quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics here on Thursday.
The former world number one pair of Satwik and Chirag, who won both their matches to top Group C, has been pitted against Chia and Soh after a draw of lot here this evening.
The Malaysian pair had finished in the second spot in Group A behind China's world number one Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang.
Chia and Soh once had an overwhelming 8-0 head-to-head record against Satwik and Chirag but the Indians managed to register three straight-game wins over their fancied rivals in the last three meetings.
A win is likely to put the Indians up against top seeds Liang and Wang, who are set to take on Indonesian pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in another quarterfinals.
It has always been an intense match between the Indians and Malaysians, and both are chasing their respective country's maiden badminton gold medal.
The Malaysians are known for their tactical acumen, pinpoint accuracy and high tempo game, and Satwik and Chirag will have to be sharp and get on with their attacking game from the word go.
After suffering many a heartbreak against their opponents, Satwik and Chirag finally defeated Chia and Soh, the 2022 world champions, at the Indonesia Open super 1000 final last year.
The Indians followed it up with victories at the 2022 Asian Games individual event and then at the India Open in January this year.
In the second half of the draw, second-seeded Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen of Denmark will take on fourth-seed Koreans Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae, while Thailand's Supak Jomkoh and Kedren Kittinupong will square off against Tokyo Games gold winners Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin of Chinese Taipei.