Satwik-Chirag peel off rust to claim Thailand Open silverware ahead of Paris Olympics – ESPN India

That Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were the overwhelming favourites to win the 2024 Thailand Open was well known by the business end of the BWF Super 500 tournament.

They were the highest ranked pair and did not face a seeded pair in a draw already depleted by absences and then blown wide open by the early losses of the other top pairs.

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But every favourites tag on paper must be justified with on-court performances and the top seeds did just that, rubber-stamping their credentials with a dominant title run, without dropping a game. They beat China's world no. 29 pair Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi 21-15, 21-15 in a performance that grew more commanding as the match progressed.

This title - the second of the season out of 4 finals - sealed their return to the world no. 1 spot in the seesaw of men's doubles rankings again. More importantly, this title is a morale boost after a rough couple of months - due to injury and early losses - after a splendid start to the year (three straight finals).

The Indians came into the Thailand Open after tough losses in the two tournaments they had set their targets on this year - a second-round loss at the All England Championship in March and two back-to-back narrow losses at the Thomas Cup in May, where defending champions India made a quarterfinal exit.

It also was a chance for Satwik, whose injury had forced them to miss the Badminton Asia Championship in April, to test his match fitness over the course of a tournament. The title run was a win on both counts, as they looked fit and fast after a slight off-colour performance earlier this month. In this respect, the lack of big names in the field didn't matter as much as testing the rhythm of their own performances.

Thailand has always been a happy hunting ground for Sat-Chi, a fact both reiterated after their semi and final wins. It is this very Thailand Open title that, back in 2019, heralded the young Indian pair's arrival on the scene. That was their first major title, then on the back of a giant-killing run.

Their path to the title this time could not have been more different as they did not face a single Top 25 pair. It took them only 35 minutes to win the semifinal, and while the final was only 10 minutes longer and looked easy enough on paper, it was also a reminder of how much both Satwik and Chirag have grown.

In the first game, for example, Chen and Liu fought back after an early burst to extend the rallies and levelled things at 7-7 before taking a slim 1-point lead at the mid-game interval. But the Indians, whose natural game is swift points, recalibrated and got into the longer rallies to build their points and raced away in the second half.

The second game saw the top seeds build a sizeable lead right at 11-6 before the Chinese pair clawed their way back to reduce the gap to just 1 at 16-15. Satwik and Chirag then turned on their afterburners and did not lose another point. The very next shot was pure doubles symphony; the two punching in back-to-back angled smashes - all returned - before Satwik found the spot they opened up and sent down the kill shot.

These are small moments in the bigger picture but it adds on to their confidence and comfort on court in what is a very important season. As much as the trophies and points on the BWF World Tour count, 2024 is very much about the Paris Olympics and planning their performance ahead of it. Satwik and Chirag are one of the medal favourites from India and have spoken about how crucial calendar and fitness management will be ahead of the Games in July.

Also Read: Path to Paris: After historic 2023, 'hungry' Sat-Chi embrace pressure, master the mind games

They have not entered next week's Malaysia Masters, also a Super 500, and will likely play the Singapore Open Super 750 the week after. With the confidence they would have gained in their fitness and momentum this week, the Indian will be back to being favourites the next time they play on tour.

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Satwik-Chirag peel off rust to claim Thailand Open silverware ahead of Paris Olympics - ESPN India