Satwik-Chirag Win Three-Game Thriller At BWF World Tour Finals, Inch Closer To Semis

Star Indian men’s doubles shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on Thursday beat the Indonesian duo of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in three games (21-11, 16-21, 21-11) to inch

closer to a spot in the BWF World Tour Finals top four. The Indonesians have been eliminated after twin losses.

With two victories from two matches, Satwik and Chirag now lead the group and have built a considerable advantage in points difference.

Facing a pair known for their exceptional front-court skills, the onus was on Chirag, but he was supported by Satwik, who was flawless in the evening.

Satwik-Chirag changed their aggressive approach to a more blended mix of shots and pace to counter the Indonesians.

Two deep pushes from Chirag and a flurry of errors at the net from a nervy Indonesian pair helped India race to a 6–0 lead in the opening game. With a clear focus on sharp service and tight receives, Satwik-Chirag executed their plan to perfection, heading into the mid-game interval with a commanding 11–2 advantage.

Alfian and Fikri started to apply pressure in the rallies, cutting the gap to 6–12, before Satwik-Chirag responded, with a sharp cross-court shot helping them regain the serve.

However, Satwik-Chirag faltered in defence as their rivals clawed back to 9-13. The latter responded with two steep smashes to extend the lead to 18-10.

Satwik-Chirag didn’t try to engage the Indonesians in prolonged exchanges and instead fired away early shots to dominate.

Satwik and Chirag earned 10 game points and converted on their second chance after some flat exchanges.

The second game was poised at 3–all early on before the Indonesians shut down Satwik-Chirag’s attacking options, racing to an 8–3 lead by keeping the shuttle flat and low to force errors.

Satwik regained the serve with a precise push, followed by a lucky net cord to make it 4–9. Chirag’s jump smash cut the deficit further and with a mix of shots and varied pace, they closed in at 8–9.

By the interval, the Indonesians led 11–9 after a slip from Chirag. He and Satwik fought back to 11-all, but Alfian and Fikri regrouped, extending their lead to 15–12 and then 17–13, despite Chirag dazzling with a behind-the-back shot and a precise low pickup to keep rallies alive.

At 14–18, Satwik-Chirag produced a brilliant rally, with the latter asserting dominance. But a lapse in focus saw the score slip to 19–15 and a wide shot from Chirag handed four game points to the Indonesians, who converted one to push the match into a decider.

In the third game, Satwik-Chirag established a 6-2 lead, which included two accurate shots landing on the backline.

Satwik and Chirag showed good anticipation to surge to 9-3. The latter sealed a commanding 11-4 lead with a smash after a long criss-cross rally.

Alfian smashed into the net on resumption, but the Indonesians again stepped up the pace to reel off four straight points to make it 9-12.

The rallies became faster and longer as Satwik-Chirag moved to 16-10 after the Indonesians found the net twice.

An Alfian body shot on Satwik kept the Indonesians in contention, but errors started to mount, permitting India to pull ahead 18–11 after another brilliant play from Satwik.

Two mistimed shots from the Indonesians handed Satwik-Chirag nine match points and they sealed the victory when their opponents sent another shuttle into the net.

Satwik-Chirag will take on the Malaysian duo of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in their final group game on Friday. The head-to-head battle between the two pairs is heavily skewed towards the Malaysians, with them winning 11 of their 16 encounters against the Indians.

But Satwik-Chirag would draw confidence from their last match against Chia and Soh, where the Indians won in straight games in the semifinal of the China Masters in September.