Arif-Roy King struggle to play 'no lift game' [WATCH]

KUALA LUMPUR: Men's doubles Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King conceded that their inability to control the serve and the first three shots proved decisive after they were outplayed by India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty at the Malaysia Open today.

The world No. 17 Malaysians went down 21-18, 21-11 to the world No. 3 Indians in the second round at Axiata Arena, struggling to impose their preferred no-lift game as pressure mounted from the very start of rallies.

Arif said the turning point repeatedly came from the service exchanges, where the Indians' aggression prevented them from setting up quality third shots.

"One thing we lost was the no-lift situation because once we lifted to the backcourt, we couldn't do much about their powerful smash and the rally was basically over," Arif said.

"We were not consistent on the third shot and we still need to improve the quality of the shuttle so that it doesn't go up," he added.

The Malaysians found themselves on the back foot early in the games as Satwiksairaj-Chirag pressed hard off the serve, forcing them into reactive positions rather than allowing them to dictate play.

"The most difficult part was starting from their serve because we were under pressure straight away," Arif said.

"If we could control the serve better, then the first three shots would be different and maybe we could be the ones blocking first."

Despite the straight-games defeat, Roy King said they stayed committed to the tactical plan even in tight moments, including when they were briefly competitive late in the opening game.

"At that point it was point by point and we didn't think too much, just that the game plan was working," Roy King said.

Arif said the loss was a reminder of the standards required at Super 750 and Super 1000 tournaments, where margins are thin and early weaknesses are quickly punished.

"We didn't reach our target here," he said. "This year for 750 and 1000 tournaments we want to reach at least the quarter-finals.

"But we managed to only get to the second round here, so there are still many things we need to fix."

Their next assignment will be the India Open next week, where they have been drawn against Japan's world No. 35 Takumi Nomura-Yuichi Shimogami in the first round.