CHENNAI: The wait is finally over. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty beat Muhammad Fikri and Fajar Alfian to capture the Singapore Open on Sunday. And they did it the hard way.
Having conceded the opening game, the Indians displayed their survival instincts before going on to emerge as winners in the BWF Super 750 tournament.
After battling countless challenges in recent times, a phase that perhaps has been their toughest since becoming a force at the elite level, this outcome is cathartic. Soon after the match-sealing point, they could be seen expressing their delight with a dance. It was a poignant moment, highlighting what this meant for them. This was their first title since the Thailand Open crown in May, 2024. It was also the first time an Indian pair had captured a men's doubles crown at Singapore.
The opening game was a tightly-contested affair. Fikri was employing the tumble serve, troubling the Indians on numerous occasions. Most of the rallies lasted barely seconds, mostly flat hits with any form of lift being subjected to punishment.
At 18-18, it was anybody's game. However, the Indonesia pair tightened the screw towards the closing stages to clinch three consecutive points, pocketing the game (21-18) in the process.
Like the opening game, where they had a two-game lead, the Indians headed into the mid-game interval with a three-point advantage before going on to make it six points following resumption in the second essay.
However, the Indonesian pair also reeled off four points to close the gap. The Indians regained their stranglehold soon after before going on to level the tie.
With the momentum on their side, the Indians made a strong start in the decider and were coasting along nicely until the mid-game interval. However, the Indonesian pair, as is expected at the elite level, rallied to make it an interesting fight. With sharp returns, they managed to close the gap but every time it seemed like they could go level, the Indians found an extra gear to maintain their slender advantage.
In the end, the scoreline read 18-21, 21-17, 21-16 in Chirag and Satwik's favour.
In the last outing at the Thailand Open not so long ago, the Indian combo had just missed out on the top prize after reaching the final.