BANGKOK: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty said years of battling injuries and setbacks have made them mentally tougher after the Indian men’s doubles pair moved into the Thailand Open Super 500 final with a hard-fought win here on Saturday.
The former world No. 1 Indian pair, who claimed the title here in 2019 and 2024, defeated the Malaysian world No. 8 combination of Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin 19-21 22-20 21-16 in an 82-minute semifinal to enter their first final of the season.
Satwik and Chirag, the Asian Games champions, were forced to withdraw from major tournaments such as the Asia Championships and the Swiss Open, where they pulled out in the quarterfinals, due to Satwik’s recurring shoulder injury.
"We are used to it now. There was a phase when we kept wondering why it was happening, but later I realised it is part and parcel of the game," Satwik told BWF.
"The way we play is very attacking, so there will always be a few niggles. I have a history of tears and similar issues, so, I have to manage myself and keep playing.
“It’s about adjusting, staying calm, and supporting each other. Even when I’m not fully fit, my partner has always been supportive. Tan coach has also handled injured players very well, and that has made a big difference. I’m really happy.” The star Indian pair recently made headlines for their comments highlighting the lack of mainstream visibility and public appreciation for badminton in India despite the country’s Thomas Cup bronze-winning campaign in Denmark.
Satwik credited India’s historic Thomas Cup triumph in 2022 for changing the team’s mentality and helping the pair grow in confidence.
“I was telling the players during the Thomas Cup (in Denmark) that one podium finish can change someone’s life. That’s exactly what happened for us after the Thomas Cup (2022). From there, there was no looking back. Our mentality changed and we started playing really well after that,” he said.
“It is never just about an individual, it is a team win. One podium finish can completely change the momentum for us. We wanted that feeling again and again. But the job is not done yet. We want to play one more good match tomorrow.” Chirag said the Indian pair had to dig deep tactically and physically against the fast-hitting Malaysians.
“It was tough technically as well as physically. The shuttles were not very fast today, so nobody got easy winners. Izzuddin was hitting really hard and we knew we had to be ready for those smashes,” Chirag said.
“I think especially in the second and third games, we defended very well. Whenever we got good lifts, we knew we had a chance to stay in the rally and defend. We also tried to move them around as much as possible and that worked well for us.” Satwik said controlling the net was crucial against Malaysian and Indonesian pairs, who thrive in quick exchanges at the forecourt.
“There are always a lot of battles at the front court against these guys. Malaysians and Indonesians always want to dominate the net and stop us from playing from the backcourt,” he said.
“Whoever controls the net usually has the upper hand. That’s how they started the first game as well, controlling the front and middle court. Once you are forced to lift, the other pair has a much better chance of winning the rally.” Satwik also underlined the stylistic contrast between the Indians and their shorter, quicker opponents.
“They are extremely skilful at the net and very quick because of their height. For us, being taller, we need to bend more and play tighter shots. So, it becomes very tactical against these kinds of pairs,” he added.
Chirag said gaining a healthy lead midway through the decider helped him settle down mentally.
“I felt quite calm on court, especially in the third game. After 5-all, we went into the interval leading 11-5 and that really boosted my confidence,” he said.
“I felt much more comfortable after that, was able to defend well and place the shuttle in the right areas. I’m really happy with the performance.” The Indian pair also expressed satisfaction with their gradual improvement after a stop-start period affected by injuries.
“Happy with the way things are going. Slowly we are getting better and I think we are playing well in patches,” Chirag said.
“Yesterday’s match was quite convincing. Today we didn’t start that well, but they also played a really good game. Against a top-eight pair, you never get easy points. But we are slowly getting to where we want to be," he noted.