Delhi, 1 June (H.S.): Indian men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty demonstrated resilience at the Singapore Open Super 750 badminton tournament, where they reached the semifinals despite not being at their physical peak. They faced the world No. 3 Malaysian duo Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, ultimately losing in a closely contested match with scores of 21-19, 10-21, 18-21.
Chirag expressed satisfaction with their performance, noting that given their recent training challenges and personal struggles, reaching the semifinals was an unexpected achievement. He mentioned the importance of positives from the experience, emphasizing their desire to improve and aim for a title in future competitions. Their journey has been marked by difficulties since the Olympics, with inconsistent performances following a semifinal finish at the China Open last year and subsequent appearances in the semifinals at both the Malaysia and India Opens. These setbacks were compounded by significant personal challenges, including the death of Satwik’s father due to cardiac arrest earlier in the year.
Overall, their return to form in Singapore indicates a promising start as they prepare for their next competition in Indonesia, hoping to build on the momentum gained from this tournament.
Chirag faced sidelining due to illness, missing the Sudirman Cup. Upon return, he dealt with a back injury during the All England Championships, adversely affecting their performance in March. This period away from competition resulted in a drop in their world ranking from No. 1 to 27. Satwik expressed frustration with this ranking, attributing it to their break and injuries following the Olympics. Despite limited tournament participation, they performed strongly, reaching semifinals in the competitions they entered, which Satwik considered a positive indicator.
He noted, “We are not at our best yet. Still, we are able to beat some top players and trouble the top-level pairs,” which instills confidence in their potential for improvement. Chirag underwent a rigorous rehabilitation process due to his aggravated back injury, and Satwik commended his dedication and hard work during this time. He highlighted the efforts Chirag put into his recovery, stating, “Last month wasn’t easy — I saw him working day and night.” Satwik acknowledged that despite Chirag’s ongoing pain, he remains focused on their goals, emphasizing their mutual support as a team. They share a strong desire to excel in upcoming tournaments, with Satwik asserting that together they aim to regain their previous ranking and achieve greater success.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
