Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty crowned Thailand Open men's doubles champions

By Ovaise Shariff | First Published May 19, 2024, 2:33 PM IST

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty secured a major victory ahead of the Paris Olympics by winning the men's doubles title at the Thailand Open Super 500 badminton tournament.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty received a significant boost ahead of the Paris Olympics by clinching the men's doubles title at the Thailand Open Super 500 badminton tournament.

The Indian duo, ranked world number three, secured the title with a straight-game victory over China's Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi on Sunday. In a dominant performance, Satwik and Chirag triumphed 21-15, 21-15 over the 29th-ranked Chinese pair, marking their ninth BWF World Tour title. This victory follows their earlier season success at the French Open Super 750 in March. They also reached the finals of the Malaysia Super 1000 and India Super 750.

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"Bangkok has always been special for us; we won our first Super Series title here in 2019 and also the Thomas Cup, so it feels great to be back," Chirag said after the win.

This title comes at a crucial point in Satwik and Chirag's career, especially after some recent setbacks. They were knocked out in the second round of the All England Championships and missed the Asia Championships due to an injury to Satwik. Their Thomas Cup campaign also saw a few narrow losses to top pairs.

Entering the Thailand Open final without dropping a game, Satwik and Chirag were the favorites. Liu and Chen, despite their impressive run to the final and reputation of never losing a final, faced a tough challenge against the top-seeded Indians.

Satwik and Chirag started strong, quickly opening up a 5-1 lead. Although Chen and Liu managed to level the score at 7-7 and even took a slight lead at the interval, the Indian pair regained control. After resumption, they moved to a 14-11 lead and extended it to 16-12. The Indians then capitalized on their momentum to secure five game points, eventually taking the first game 21-15.

In the second game, Satwik and Chirag maintained their intensity, starting with an 8-3 lead and keeping a five-point cushion at the interval. Despite a brief comeback by Liu and Chen, the Indians dashed any hopes of an upset. With Chirag setting up points and Satwik finishing them off, they moved to 17-15 and soon secured five match points. The match concluded with a 21-15, 21-15 victory, with Satwik celebrating by dancing with his racquet and Chirag tossing his shirt into the crowd.

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