Korean Open in kitty, Satwik and Chirag elevate hopes for world title

The Korean metropolis of Yeosu could lengthy be remembered as the bottom camp from the place Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty started their ascent to the upcoming World No 1 standing. With their blazing attacking play, the present third-ranked Indian pair beat the World No. 1, 2 and 5 on the Korean Open Super 500 held from 18–23 July.

In the finals Sunday, Rankireddy and Shetty got here from behind towards the World No. 1 and All England champions, Fajar Alfian and Muhamad Rian Ardianto, to win 17-21, 21-13, 21-14.

Sunday’s win ensures the Indian duo’s rise to World No 2 on Monday, when the rankings are out. Their coronation because the world’s high shuttler pair might be sooner, actually simply subsequent week, in the event that they win the Japan Open and Alfian-Ardianto lose earlier than the quarters.

“It’s been a pretty good week for us. We played some amazing badminton and I am happy with the performance today,” mentioned Satwik after profitable the Korean Open title. “We want to continue with the same momentum next week at the Japan Open. So, we’ll go back now, rest and focus again.”

The Korea win is the Indian pair’s sixth consecutive victory after they misplaced the French Open finals three seasons in the past. It’s been a no-break run ever since — with the subsequent French Open, then the Thomas Cup, the Swiss Open, the Asian Championships, the Indonesian Open and now Korea.

At the Korean Open, apart from their snug straight-set win towards the Japanese No. 5 pair, Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi, the Indians additionally beat the World No. 2 Chinese Liang Wei Keng and Chang Wang, a victory that they had thus far been elusive.

With that, Marcus Gideon and Kevin Sukamuljo of Indonesia stay the one high pairing towards whom the Indian duo has by no means received.

Also, India has by no means received the Asian Games or World Championships gold within the males’s part, and the duo from Mumbai and Amalapuram (Andhra Pradesh) is elevating hopes with the red-hot kind they’ve struck.

“They are head and shoulders above the rest of the pairings, and not just in height…,” mentioned coach Pullela Gopichand. “They have a strong attack, both have a good serve and net game. The initiative they take in the first two three strokes and their intensity makes their attack world class. They are clearly up there, by and large, the best pair in the world.”

In the course of their 10-match win streak thus far, throughout the Indonesian Open title triumph final month to Korea now, the Indian pair overturned previously dropping margins. In reality, your complete period of the Korean Open noticed the opposing groups wrestle in useless to defend towards the Satwik-Chirag assault, who simply needed to maintain the shuttle below the faucet.

This was a steep departure from the sooner occasions when India dreaded crew championships in badminton due to weak doubles groups.

Speaking to The Indian Express final month after the Indonesia Open triumph, Satwik-Chirag had mentioned, “We don’t fear the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans. They might be thinking ‘Oh shit we have to face Satwik Chirag’”.