NEW DELHI: It was a tense spell of play as Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty struggled to find answers. Having played with much authority in the opening game of their men's doubles final, it was a rather bizarre scene as the World No 2 pair was suddenly reduced to collecting the shuttle and passing it back to their rivals. Their struggle could be sensed through the crowd, who had gradually started to lose their voice, here at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall.
It was a period where they conceded nine consecutive points. That was the Indian pair's start of downfall on Sunday as they missed out on a title by a whisker for the second consecutive week, this time in front of the home fans here at the India Open.
After displaying their quintessential style of play in the first game against the Korean duo of Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae (World No 3), they lost the plot in the second game and eventually conceded the match (21-15, 11-21, 18-21). Satwik lamented about the aforementioned spell. "We started off quite well in the first game, but in the second, we couldn't really start well. In no time, we were down by 11-5. From then on, it was quite difficult to come back, and yes, they were quite a formidable defensive pair," he assessed.
This latest defeat was certainly a dampener for the Khel Ratnas. Having come so far, that too in front of home fans, Satwik is understandably dejected after letting this opportunity slip. Having said that, he's also quick to point out the positives (a valid one of course). "Overall, we are sad about losing the final in our home tournament. But, there are a lot of positives, the last two weeks have been really good," Satwik was suggesting their runners-up effort at the Malaysia Open last week.
Playing back-to-back finals at the elite level is no mean feat. The shuttlers, who have made a healthy habit of challenging for titles, will have to get used to the rigours of playing more often at a high level. Chirag is pragmatic with regards to their current state and is confident that things will fall in place eventually. "There was a certain fatigue going on (because of playing consecutive finals). We have never played two back-to-back finals (Super 500 or Super 750 level), so it's a positive thing that we have been playing quite consistently. We just need to look at the bigger picture, and I know that things will eventually turn in our favour," he noted.
On the day, the Korean shuttlers showed why they are the reigning world champions. Despite conceding the first game, they maintained their composure. With a healthy balance of attack and defence, they forced the Indian duo to make mistakes on multiple occasions (Chirag was especially missing out on a frequent basis). Even in the third game, the Indians continued to chase them hard.
The gap had come down to merely one point towards the business end. That's when they stepped up big time to spoil the part for most onlookers present here. "In the beginning, I could see our opponents were under pressure as well. But later on, they settled and played their game, and we just played random strokes at crucial points."
The doubles duo will have some time to reflect as they'll be taking some time off before attempting another big run. The duo's hunger and commitment to master their craft has made them heavyweights in the BWF circuit over the years. And they're sticking to that mindset going forward. "Our thing is to keep our heads down and keep working on the big titles to come. We are still hungry and are not satisfied. We will start again in the next few days for the All England and French Open," Satwik declared.
Before the French Open and All England, they are scheduled to take part in the Badminton Asia Team Championships. The continental event is slated to be held in Malaysia from February 13 to 19. Given that they have reversed their fortunes after similar setbacks over the years, Satwik and Chirag can certainly come back stronger and make a case for titles.