Badminton
India Open, Finals: Lakshya Sen v Loh Kean Yew, Satwik-Chirag v Daddies — Preview, Where to watch, Live Stream
It's a blockbuster Sunday for Indian badminton fans with Lakshya Sen squaring off against the World Champion and Satwik-Chirag taking on Mohmmad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan.
Lakshya Sen (left) and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty at the India Open 2022 (Source: BAI)
The Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2022 is all set for a blockbuster Sunday with dream clashes featuring Indian badminton players Lakshya Sen and the doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
Follow LIVE | India Open 2022 Final Day
Although double Olympic medallist and top seed, PV Sindhu could not make it to the finals, and several other players had to withdraw pre and during the tournament owing to various COVID-19 and medical and injury-related issues, the first tournament of the 2022 BWF calendar is ready to culminate with some mouth-watering finals that will pitch some of the bests of the tournament against each other.
First off, the dynamic doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have qualified for a final after 26 months. Their last outing at a final was at the 2019 French Open - an occasion where they went down fighting against the Minions - Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sukamuljo.
Making a great comeback and enjoying a good form now, the Tokyo-returned World No. 10 pair and second seeds at the India Open will be locking horns with the veterans of the game - the Daddies from Indonesia - Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan.
In their head-to-head, Satwik-Chirag have only been able to defeat the Daddies on one occasion, the other three times, the match has gone in favour of Ahsan and Setiawan.
The Indonesians are undoubtedly the top seeds at the tournament and therefore, will pose a very strong and difficult challenge for Satwik-Chirag, who didn't really have any major threats en route to finals in New Delhi.
Also becoming the first-ever men's doubles pair from India to play in the finals of the India Open, there is a chance to make history for Satwik-Chirag today. However, as Chirag Shetty mentioned in the post-match interaction after their semi-final victory, "They (the Daddies) may no longer be the fastest, but they are the smartest," and at all costs, Satwik-Chirag will have to come in with an action plan to fully go the length with the veterans who like to play cerebrally, rather than physically.
After this thriller of a clash, a bigger thriller awaits in the form of World Championship bronze medallist Lakshya Sen taking on World Champion Loh Kean Yew in the finals of the India Open. Needless to say, Singapore's Loh Kean Yew is enjoying a brilliant form and is peaking currently. After his triumph in Huelva in December 2021, this is Yew's first tournament as World Champion and he is already in the finals. The rivalry between Sen and Yew is a fun thing to watch as both are young and rising as stars.
Coming into the finals, India Open debutant, Lakshya Sen had to face a bit of a struggle staving off HS Prannoy in the quarters followed by an inspired Ng Tze Yong in the semis, with matches going the full length. Therefore, Sen, just 20 and the World No. 17, can be slightly tired from the exhaustion of the previous matches whereas Loh Kean Yew didn't have to sweat much coming through.
In their head-to-head, both Sen and Yew have split their winnings equally and it stands locked at 2-2. The India Open final will be their fifth meeting and certainly, a very exciting one as both players are in good form and hungry to give it a go for the coveted title.
Here's all you need to know about India Open 2022:
Tournament: Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2022
Category: HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500
Venue: KD Jadhav Indoor Hall - 1, New Delhi, India
Prize Money: USD 400,000
Matches:
1. Men's Doubles Finals: [1] Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan v [2] Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty not before 3:00 PM IST
2. Men's Singles Finals: [3] Lakshya Sen v [5] Loh Kean Yew not before 3:30 PM IST
Follow LIVE | India Open 2022 Final Day
Where to watch India Open 2022?
The Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2022 Finals will be telecast live on Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 1 HD channels from 1:00 PM IST.
Where to live stream India Open 2022?
The Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2022 Finals can be streamed live on the OTT app - SonyLiv from 1:00 PM IST.
