The restlessness after losing a medal to Danes Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen at the 2023 World Championship, would have subsided after Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty stubbed them 21-7, 21-10 at India Open. But the Indians are meant for bigger things. A first title in 2024, to start with. And a chance to reclaim top spot in world rankings.
The second seeds have another tricky challenge coming up against former world champs Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, who had been a thorn in their flesh until recently. After having lost 8 straight matches against the Malaysians, the Indian duo have won the last two, with the help of tactical tweaks from Boe. Both those wins came under significant situations, first at the Indonesia Open as Satwik-Chirag clinched their first Super 1000 and then at the Asian Games semifinal. Chia and Soh came through their quarterfinal a thriller of a two-game win against China’s Liu Yu Chen and Ou Xuan Yi.
If the two pairs play anywhere close to the level they did on Friday, it promises to be a cracking 11th meeting.
Men’s doubles, in general, is fast and furious but the Danish duo of Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen have a knack to rush their opponents even more. When they are in the zone, they barely give breathing room between points and dictate the tempo. It’s something Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty know all too well. The Indian star duo have struggled in the past against them, most recently suffering a heartbreaking loss at the 2023 World Championships, a defeat that Satwik says gave him sleepless nights.
Home pair Rankireddy/Shetty ???????? contest against Astrup/Rasmussen ????????.#BWFWorldTour #IndiaOpen2024 pic.twitter.com/kWhhp8Sijx
— BWF (@bwfmedia) January 20, 2024
But during the India Open Super 750 quarterfinal in Delhi on Friday, Satwik-Chirag produced a win that appeared dominant. The attacking brilliance reflected in the 21-7, 21-10 scoreline but the mental resolve is hidden between the lines.
For instance, the Danes recovered decently after the first-game drubbing to close the gap to 5-6 in Game 2. As Astrup got ready to serve, the Indians paused. Soon after, the Danish left-hander took a step back. The Indians made them wait a little longer. And after winning that exchange, Satwik-Chirag went on another dominant run of 8 straight points to effectively nullify the challenge of the World Championships silver medallists.
Chirag explained after the match, “They usually just come and serve (very quickly), even before you are ready sometimes. A lot of pairs fall to that, we have so many times as well. We usually don’t play such mind tricks, so we decided we need to be ready and only then receive. Not play at their pace.”
In the meetings between these two pairs in the past, it was never just a game of skills. It’s a mental battle. “Whoever wins that, comes out on top. Today we did that quite well. We didn’t get into their rhythm. We served quite well,” Chirag added.
The win was also a moment to savour for former Danish doubles star Mathias Boe. Satwik-Chirag’s coach had seen them lose twice against Astrup-Rasmussen in the past. “From the time he’s been with us, we have kept losing to them. It was a challenge for me as well to prove that he is here to help us win. He was hungry before the match, he was pumping us up,” Satwik quipped.
Satwik-Chirag head-to-head against Malaysians Aaron-Soh
In an otherwise fantastic 2023, the big disappointment for Satwik-Chirag came in Denmark. At the World Championships in Copenhagen, there was genuine belief that the Asian champions can go a step further and improve their bronze from 2022. They looked primed for that. But, with Danes buoyed by their home crowd and perhaps their best form in recent times, Satwik and Chirag had arguably their lowest point of the year.
“They gave us sleepless nights a few times,” Satwik told BWF on why this win in India meant something more to them, saying that defeat in Copenhagen was especially tough on him. “We were stressed at the World Championships, we couldn’t play our game. I was very low. I couldn’t sleep last night either. I was eager to play, put my ‘A’ game first and see what they come up with. I wanted to show it’s my turn.”
It is not often that Astrup and Rasmussen are flustered or flat on the court, but the way Satwik and Chirag started off the match meant they had no time to gather themselves. The Indians brought their best attacking game, and raced through the opener in under 20 minutes. Only at the start of the second game, albeit briefly, it felt like the thriller it promised to be.
The second seeds have another tricky challenge coming up against former world champs Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, who had been a thorn in their flesh until recently. After having lost 8 straight matches against the Malaysians, the Indian duo have won the last two, with the help of tactical tweaks from Boe. Both those wins came under significant situations, first at the Indonesia Open as Satwik-Chirag clinched their first Super 1000 and then at the Asian Games semifinal. Chia and Soh came through their quarterfinal a thriller of a two-game win against China’s Liu Yu Chen and Ou Xuan Yi.
If the two pairs play anywhere close to the level they did on Friday, it promises to be a cracking 11th meeting.
2024-01-20 08:45:35
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