CHENNAI: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are in the process of regaining their mojo yet again. After a relatively cagey start, the Indians — on a comeback trail after the former's injury not so long ago — brought their attacking instincts to the fore to outgun Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong of Malaysia at the Shenzhen Arena to enter the final of the ongoing China Masters — a Super 750 event in Shenzhen.
The Indians won 21-16, 18-21, 21-11 in just over an hour and they'll be contesting in the final of this event for the third time since the 2023 edition. Having missed out on the title in the previous two occasions, the Indians will be determined to pocket the top prize this time. If they go on to win the final on Sunday, it will be their second title — after the Singapore Open crown in May — this season.
Irrespective of the outcome in the final, this has been an encouraging campaign for the Indian duo, who had recently made a return post injury issues for Satwik. This run could keep them in good stead ahead of the upcoming Asian Games.
Like their Round of 16 and quarterfinal contests, the Indians were made to work hard but in the end, the difference in class was visible as the Indians found a different gear in the crucial juncture of the match to end up on the winning side.
It was a rather slow start for the Indians in the semifinals on the day as the Malaysian duo were 5-0 ahead in no time. But the Indians made a strong response by reeling off seven consecutive points to get going. Both Satwik and Chirag pro-active in their approach and forced the Malaysians to err. Azriyn was guilty of unforced errors on a couple of occasions as Indians took a 10-6 lead. Satwik continued to land some heavy smashes from the back as the Indians maintained control of the proceedings. However, the Malaysians refused to yield, forcing a 54-shot rally by making some incredible returns towards the closing stages. But the Indians were undeniable and closed out the game in no time.
Just like the opening game, the Malaysians displayed their agility and attacking game to make a bright start. The Indians yet again fought back before taking the lead. However, the Malaysians were more disciplined this time around and made it an even contest. It was neck-and-neck until the very end before the Malaysians grabbed the last three points to force a decider.
Having regrouped, the Indians raised the intensity level in the decider to take charge of the proceedings. Both Satwik and Chirag were relentless and made some sharp returns to hurt the Malaysians, who were also guilty of making errors. In the end, the Indians sealed the deal with relative ease.
