Hometown heroes fall short in India Open badminton final

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty narrowly missed out on the title in a thrilling three-game finale against South Korea's Kang Hyuk Min and Seo Seung Jae. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty narrowly missed out on the title in a thrilling three-game finale against South Korea's Kang Hyuk Min and Seo Seung Jae.

Edited By: Satyam Singh

Last Updated : 21 January 2024, 08:12 PM IST

Hometown heroes fall short in India Open badminton final

X/@India_AllSports

The Indian men's doubles dreams at the India Open took an unwanted turn as Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the reigning Asian Games champions, narrowly missed out on the title in a thrilling three-game finale against South Korea's Kang Hyuk Min and Seo Seung Jae. The high-tension encounter, lasted 65 minutes at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, leaving the home crowd heartbroken.

Satwik-Chirag, who lifted the trophy here in 2022, seemed poised for a repeat after clinching the first game 21-15 with electrifying rallies and relentless pressure. Chirag's dazzling net interceptions and Satwik's powerful smashes had the Koreans on the back foot.

News Flash: Satwik & Chirag finish Runner-up at India Open.

Satchi gave their absolute best before going down fighting to reigning World Champions Kang Min Hyuk & Seo Seung Jae 21-15, 11-21, 18-21 in FINAL. #IndiaOpenSuper750 pic.twitter.com/NUDKluNau7
— India_AllSports (@India_AllSports) January 21, 2024

What went wrong?

However, the tide turned in the second game. A slow start put the Indian duo on the defensive, and unforced errors allowed Kang and Seo to exploit the gaps and snatch the game 21-11. The Koreans maintained their momentum in the decider and dictated the tempo by forcing Satwik-Chirag to play a more reactive game.

Despite fighting back valiantly in the third round, the Indians couldn't quite regain their early dominance. A series of close exchanges kept the crowd on the edge of their seats, but ultimately, it was Kang and Seo who sealed the victory 21-18, sending a wave of disappointment through the home fans.

Sheer tenacity and skill in display

While the result wasn't what the Indian contingent had hoped for, the sheer tenacity and skill displayed by both pairs throughout the tournament left a lasting impression. Satwik-Chirag, despite finishing runners-up for the second consecutive week, can take heart from their impressive record against the Koreans (4-2 prior to the final) and use this experience as fuel for future victories.

Satwik-Chirag in their last 3 tournaments

India Open: Super 750: Lost in final to reigning World Champions.
Malaysia Open: Super 1000: Lost in final to World Ranked 1 pair.
China Masters: Super 750: Lost in final to World Ranked 1 pair.

Notably, all of the high-tension clashes went to the third round.

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