New Delhi: For the entire 37-minute duration of their men’s doubles semi-final, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty played like the contest rested on a knife’s edge. When it was sharp, every drop and smash looked spectacular. But when it wasn’t, the errors looked glaring with the points going to their Malaysian opponents.
Saturday was more about when the world No.9 pairing wasn’t sharp enough as they exited the $950,000 India Open after losing 18-21, 14-21 to third seeds Nur Izzuddin and Goh Sze Fei to end India’s campaign at the Super 750 event.
Even though the Indians had a 6-1 record coming into the contest, it had been almost three years since they last met at the 2022 Thomas Cup which Satwik and Chirag helped India win. Since then, Nur and Goh have evolved a lot, especially in the last year where they have been in blazing form, reaching five finals on the BWF World Tour, winning three, which has helped them reach a career-best ranking of world No.2.
“We should have closed the first game but credit to them, they were quite good in the service situations which we didn’t really expect because probably we didn’t prepare for it. But having said that we should have been a little calmer,” said Chirag.
“It was probably the service situation. We didn’t really expect so many flicks going into the game. Possibly because we have not played them for almost three years now.”
While Shetty was brilliant at the net which kept the seventh seeds ahead (8-5) at the start, Goh and Nur levelled the score at 10-all. Nur showed supreme awareness up front, keeping calm and not panicking, to elongate rallies, forcing the Indians to make errors.
Nur controlled the speed of the game but it was his awareness of where to place the winner which forced both Satwik and Chirag into making errors at the net because of which the Malaysians won seven straight points from 12-15 before easily closing the game in their favour.
Goh and Nur took the momentum into the second game, taking the first five points and then going 8-2 ahead. But much to the delight of the packed crowd at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium, the Indians fought back aggressively to level the scores at 10-all. Though it looked like the game would be a thriller, the Malaysian third seeds just stole the show, winning seven straight points from 14-all to pocket the game and enter their first final of the year.
“We started pretty well. But compared to the last few days, today the shuttle was very fast. Whoever was controlling the net, they were getting points. They controlled it much better in a way,” said Satwik.
“If the shuttle had been a little slow, maybe we would have woken up and played a little bit more of a rally game. But they were quite good in the first four strokes and were getting quick points. We could have broken their rhythm, but they were quite good. It was their day.”
The third seeds will now face Malaysia Open champions Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea, who defeated fifth seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia 22-20, 21-19 earlier in the day.
Though they lost, the Asian Games gold medallists have looked in form, having reached the semi-finals of all three events – China Masters (Super 750), Malaysia Open (Super 1000), and India Open (Super 750) — since their return to the circuit post the Paris Olympics.
But the Indian combine would hope they remain injury free going into the new season. While Chirag had a strapped right shoulder and “some stiffness” in his back, Satwik had a bad fall, slightly twisting his right ankle in the second game. “I have to check. I twisted it quite badly,” said Satwik.