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The Paris Olympics are heating up, and the Indian men's doubles badminton team, consisting of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, is facing a formidable challenge in the quarterfinals. They are set to go head-to-head with the formidable Malaysian duo of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who secured a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. This matchup is highly anticipated, given the competitive history between these two pairs.
The rivalry between the Indian and Malaysian teams has always been intense. Rankireddy and Shetty, formerly ranked number one in the world, emerged as the leaders of Group C, setting up their encounter with Chia and Soh, who were the runners-up in Group A. The Malaysians had a dominant head-to-head record against the Indians, boasting eight consecutive wins, but recently, the Indian duo has turned the tide with three straight victories.
A victory in this quarterfinal would potentially pit the Indian pair against the tournament's top seeds, Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang from China, assuming the latter triumph over the Indonesian team of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in their quarterfinal match. The competition between these teams is fierce, as both sides are striving for the prestigious honor of bringing home their country's first Olympic badminton gold medal.
The Malaysian pair, known for their strategic brilliance, precision, and fast-paced gameplay, will be a formidable opponent for the Indian duo. Rankireddy and Shetty, on the other hand, are renowned for their aggressive style of play, which they will need to unleash from the very beginning to overcome their opponents. The Indian duo has recently gained a foothold against the Malaysians, having secured their first victory at the Indonesia Open Super 1000 final last year, followed by wins at the 2022 Asian Games individual event and the India Open.
Meanwhile, the other half of the men's doubles draw features a compelling matchup between the second-seeded Danish pair of Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen and the fourth-seeded Korean team of Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae. Furthermore, Thailand's Supak Jomkoh and Kedren Kittinupong will go head-to-head with the Tokyo Olympic gold medalists Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin from Chinese Taipei. These matchups promise exciting action and intense competition in the men's doubles category.