Satwik-Chirag advance to Malaysia Open semifinals

The seventh-seeded Indians battled for 49 minutes to secure a 26-24, 21-15 win over the Malaysian duo of Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo in the quarterfinals of the prestigious Super 1000 tournament.

Satwik and Chirag, runners-up in the previous edition, will face South Korea's Won Ho Kim and Seung Jae Seo in the semifinals.

The opening game was a nail-biter, with both pairs keeping the contest evenly poised.

The Indians held a narrow 11-9 lead at the interval and extended it to 18-16, but the Malaysians rallied, earning three consecutive points to level at 19-19 and even snatched a 20-19 lead.