CHENNAI: HS Prannoy, with his warrior-like spirit, threw the kitchen sink but fell short at the Axiata Arena in the ongoing Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. The women’s doubles duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand endured a similar fate.
The other less-acclaimed Indians were also on the losing side as it seemed like India would suffer a forgetful day. That’s when Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy stepped up.
The star doubles duo has been the definition of consistency in the last few years or so. They have had their share of heartbreaks as well with the Paris Olympics being the most notable one. The former World No 1 pair had stepped aside for a while after the Games but now, they look as hungry as ever. On the day, they beat Malaysian combination of Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong 21-15, 21-15.
“It was a really good (match). Happy to be back on tour. Good start to the year and looking forward to going deep into the tournament,” Chirag said after the match. Satwik, who has had bouts with injury in recent months, is also pleased to be buzzing alongside his partner at the highest level.
The new coach under question is Tan Kim Her, the Malaysian coach who was the brains behind the partnership. Tan, having formerly worked with the national team, rejoined India in December. “We have worked with him in the past. He got us to a level where we could challenge the best in the world. Really happy to have him back. It’s still early days now and good to be training under him.” Chirag said.
“If he’s not there, there’s no SatChi,” Satwik chimed in. Having booked a quarterfinal berth with Thursday’s effort, a march towards the title would definitely be a happy reunion for the trio.
Earlier, Prannoy suffered a narrow defeat (21-8, 15-21, 23-21) against China’s Li Shi Feng in the men’s singles. Treesa and Gayatri had lost (21-15, 18-21, 19-21) against Chinese duo of Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian in the women’s doubles category. China’s Han Yue had proven to be too strong for Malvika Bansod in the women’s singles.