For all those who had only seen the exploits of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on a badminton court on television, New Delhi’s KD Jadhav Indoor Hall on Saturday night witnessed a rock-star like performance from the Indians. They thumped the Malaysian duo of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik 21-18, 21-14 for a place in the Yonex Sunrise India Open final.
This was a cold night, with temperatures in the national capital low enough to send the body into shock if not clothed in layers. It’s so easy to say players are a different breed, the strongest guys in every sense. Yes, Sat-Chi are a special blend, a delight and a boon for Indian badminton.
Yet, if you watched the tandem at work till close to 11pm in the semi-finals on a packed Saturday night, they had to turn on the heat in very possible way.
Doubles in any racquet sport is a delight – tennis, badminton and squash. This is a bit like a symphony, a bit like two to tango. Unless you have the chemistry right, you cannot create the geometry on court in such a speedy sport. Well, Sat-Chi have handled success with maturity and the way they keep coming up with incredible performances sums up their hunger, their cool mindset and, above all, a rare ability to not let success get to their heads.
Back to the cold conditions, and the dress code may have been a bit out of place, while watching the Indian duo conjure up a treat against a pair who used to be so hard to beat. Satwiksairaj was wearing more than shorts and a T-shirt. The baselayer leggings and long sleeves were black in colour.
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After a straight game 21-18, 21-14 win vs Chia/Soh, #SatChi have reached the final of the #IndiaOpen2024.
They’ve praised the fans for their support till late night. Shared thoughts on their on-court coordination and more! @gargiraut15‘s report after the game.
In the final… pic.twitter.com/86ryd8KtJ0
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) January 21, 2024
For all those who may have thought this was some kind of punk outfit, the Delhi cold ensures you do anything to keep the body temperature warm. A normal human cannot wear less than three woollen layers in New Delhi. Yet, on court, despite the temperature control and high energy produced by a passionate crowd, Satwiksairaj was smart in dressing warm. His partner, though, was in shorts and T-shirt.
Before you think this article is about what players wear and what they endorse, don’t get it wrong. To have played in a final last week in Malaysia, hot and humid with the aircon on, and then come to New Delhi, with totally opposite weather, was a massive challenge. Yes, the court and shuttles are the same for all players.
But then, when one talks of preparation in doubles, one has to pay attention to small details. After all, this Indian duo had lost eight times to the Malaysians – Chia and Soh. From there, to win thrice in a row against the same opponents is a sign of how much the Indian duo have sharpened their skill set.
They have a brilliant coach in Mathias Boe, who has polished these uncut diamonds into glittering big-carat studs. If their game was all about attack earlier, they have now tempered it. Defence has become a key addition to their repertoire, for top crack doubles pairs know how to handle smashes, leap shots and cunning at the net.
For sheer energy and adrenaline rush on Saturday night, the Indian duo set up a beat. Few would have imagined they would break into a jig on court, even as lights kept flashing inside the arena. An ambience like this was needed to liven up the mood of players and fans.
After all, minus cheering, clapping and bringing the roof down, sport becomes dull and stale. Well, Sat-Chi do nothing which is boring or dull. The mind goes back to the years when another doubles pair called the Indian Express belted out winners and won titles on the ATP Tour and at Grand Slams. Yes, the legacy of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi comes to the mind as they, too, would rock and roll in doubles – be it Chennai, Dubai, or in Europe and the United States of America. The brand of doubles tennis which Lee and Hesh, as they were nicknamed, churned out, was heady stuff. Of course, petty stuff ruined their Olympic dreams repeatedly.
Looking at Sat-Chi, they seem perfectly in sync. There seems no ego, only aura. There seems to be mutual respect and love, the way they hugged each other after the match on Saturday. To be the No. 1 doubles pair again is a big deal. To be chipping away like sculptors is proof they are still giving finishing touches to their game.
Mind you, doubles in all racquet sports offers room for creativity and developing more nuances and angles. The key is in coming up with strokes which the opponents fail to read. For Sat-Chi to have decoded the Malaysians took time. They won the Asian Games gold in Hangzhou in 2023 and claimed the Khel Ratna Award.
On Sunday, they will again go full tilt. How well they recover is important. A second final in eight days is bliss. We have all heard their press conferences over and over again. One thing stands out: “If we had our way, we would attack from the first point to the last.” Well, that was in the past. Today, Sat-Chi have become Zen Masters who know that to attain nirvana and win a match, defence is also a key component.
Also Read: Power and camaraderie have taken Satwik-Chirag to the top