Satwik-Chirag finish runners-up at Hong Kong Open
Hong Kong, Sep 14 (PTI): India’s top men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty signed off with a runner-up finish after going down narrowly to China’s Olympic silver medallists Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in the final of the Hong Kong Open Super 500 here on Sunday.
The world No. 9 Indians, who bagged a second successive World Championships bronze last month, squandered a one-game lead before losing 21-19 14-21 17-21 to the sixth-ranked Chinese duo in a tense 61-minute summit clash.
"Been a good week, especially after the world championships a week later and here we are playing a final," Chirag said.
"You would want to go and win that title but credit to them, they played well as well. There's always a next time and overall happy with the performance."
It was their first final appearance in 16 months since winning the Thailand Open, and the loss ended their perfect record in Super 500 finals, having won all four they had contested earlier.
The Indians, who have reached six semifinals this season, had a 3-6 head-to-head record against Liang and Wang coming into the match. They had beaten them at the World Championships in Paris.
However, Satwik and Chirag failed to sustain the momentum after pocketing the opener and, having conceded an inexplicable 2-11 deficit in the decider, were left chasing the game.
"I think the shuttles were a bit fast. They were quite good at the 3-4 strokes. Put us under a lot of pressure in the first 4-5 strokes because they were retrieving quite hard.
"So I think we could have better planned in the second set, especially the third set as well. In the first game we countered it quite well, kept it low, but we weren't able to do that in the second and third."
The opening game turned into a thriller with Satwik and Chirag matching the Chinese pair shot for shot. Chirag unleashed booming smashes early on to erase a 0-2 deficit and give India a 9-8 edge. At 10-10, a wide shot from the Indians was neutralised by a Liang error before another Chirag smash ensured a slender advantage at the break.
The Indians went on the offensive after the interval, moving to 13-11 with a series of ferocious smashes. Satwik’s body attack on Wang, followed by a flat, fast exchange and a sharp Chirag serve, pushed them four points clear.
The Chinese clawed back with four straight points in a tight front-court battle as the Indians committed costly net errors. A controversial call, where Wang appeared to strike the shuttle before it crossed the net, gave them an 18-17 lead, only for India to respond immediately.
Satwik’s thunderous smash levelled things at 19-19, and when Liang went wide, the Indians earned a game point. Chirag then produced a precision serve on the line to seal a pulsating opener.
The Chinese pair stormed back in the second game, with Wang dazzling from the back court to open up an 8-2 lead. India closed the gap briefly through a Wang service error and a long shot, but a fault called on Satwik for a high serve and a deft Liang forehand at the net saw the Chinese go into the mid-game interval with an 11-6 cushion.
With the drift aiding them, Liang and Wang’s smashes carried extra sting as they stretched the lead to 13-7. A sharp serve and follow-up smash allowed the Indians to reduce the margin to 10-13, before Chirag’s block-and-net play brought it down to 12-14.
However, a couple of errors from Chirag gave the Chinese breathing space at 17-12. A booming smash then handed them six game points, and they levelled the match when Satwik pushed one wide.
The momentum firmly stayed with Liang and Wang in the decider as they raced to a 5-0 lead, leaving Satwik and Chirag scrambling for answers. A service fault on Liang briefly halted the run, but the Chinese regained control quickly, capitalising on India’s coordination errors to move 8-1 ahead.
When Chirag found the net, Liang and Wang went into the final interval with a commanding 11-2 advantage. The Indians mounted a late fightback, saving three match points to close the gap to 17-20, but a wayward return eventually sealed the contest in favour of the Chinese pair.
Later in the day, Lakshya Sen will be fighting for the men’s singles title, taking on familiar foe in Li Shi Feng at the Hong Kong Coliseum.
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Acts preceding actual partial penetration without ejaculation is attempt to rape: Chhattisgarh HC
Bilaspur (PTI): Noting that the act of the convict preceded the actual partial penetration but without ejaculation, the Chhattisgarh High Court has reduced the seven-year sentence awarded by a trial court to a man in a 2004 rape case and convicted him for attempted rape instead.
Partially accepting the accused's appeal, the High Court has reduced the convict's sentence to three years and six months' rigorous imprisonment. A fine of Rs 200 was imposed.
"The proof of penetration, even if partial, is necessary to prove rape. The evidence available in the present case does not prove complete rape, but it does prove that the accused attempted rape. The evidence available in the present case does not prove complete rape, but it does prove that the accused attempted rape," Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas stated in the order on February 16.
Additional Sessions Judge, Dhamtari (Camp-Raipur), had convicted Vasudeo Gond on April 6, 2005, under section 376(1) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sentenced him to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment.
He was also sentenced to six months’ rigorous imprisonment under Section 342 IPC. Both sentences were to run concurrently.
Gond had lured the victim, a resident of Dhamtari district, to his house on May 21, 2004, under some pretext, and raped her.
He locked her in a room and tied her hands and feet. A case was registered at the Arjuni police station.
The prosecution examined 19 witnesses during the trial.
In her statement, the victim had claimed forced sexual intercourse by the accused. However, during cross-examination, she gave contradictory statements regarding penetration.
Medical examination revealed an intact hymen, but the possibility of partial penetration was raised. The FSL report also found human sperm in some samples.
The High Court noted that the victim's statement lacked clarity regarding penetration. The medical evidence also failed to establish complete penetration. Citing various Supreme Court decisions, the single-judge bench stated that proof of penetration, even if partial, is necessary to prove rape.
"The evidence of the victim is corroborated with the medical evidence brought on record by the prosecution and law on the subject. It is quite vivid that an offence of attempt to commit rape is made out against the appellant, as there is partial penetration by the appellant.
"As such, the act of the appellant forcibly taking the victim inside the room, closing the doors with the motive of carnal knowledge, was the end of ‘preparation’ to commit the offence. His following action of stripping the victim and himself, and rubbing his genitals against those of the victims and partial penetration, which was indeed an endeavour to commit sexual intercourse," the HC stated.
It said the acts of the appellant were deliberately done with manifest intention to commit the offence aimed at and were reasonably proximate to the consummation of the offence.
"Since the acts of the appellant exceeded the stage beyond preparation and preceded the actual partial penetration but without ejaculation, the appellant is guilty of attempting to commit rape as punishable within the ambit and scope of Section 511 read with Section 375 IPC as it stood in force at the time of occurrence," the HC stated.
The HC convicted Gond under sections 376 (1) and 511 of the IPC, instead of section 376, and sentenced him to three years and six months' rigorous imprisonment. The six-month sentence under Section 342 was upheld. Both sentences will run concurrently.
The bench ordered that the sentence already undergone by the accused be set off.
It cancelled the bail of the accused and directed him to surrender before the trial court within two months, failing which action for his arrest would be initiated.
