Mumbai, June 1 (IANS) A lot of things have fallen in place for India’s top men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, as they claimed their first title on the BWF circuit after a gap of two years and claimed their maiden title at the Singapore Open on Sunday. The triumph in difficult circumstances has not only completed their comeback from injury layoffs but also given them the confidence to pursue their ultimate goal of winning a medal in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

In the lead-up to winning the title in Singapore, the Indian duo, a former World No.1 pair which is now ranked No.3 in BWF Rankings, Sat-Chi had reunited with their former coach Mathias Boe, who has joined them and their main coach Tan Kim Her, as a consultant, and played a major role in them achieving major success in his second stint.

Singapore Open had stumped them regularly because of the regular ‘drift’ inside the stadium, and the Indian pair had found it difficult to master that and overcome its impact. But in this edition, they managed to overcome that problem and managed their game plan in such a way that they could go all the way to the top of the podium.

Satwik and Chirag had missed more than six months in the last two years because of injuries and had slipped to No. 27 in the World Rankings. But they have gallantly fought their way back into reckoning, and their hard work has paid off in the form of winning the title in the Singapore Open, a BWF World Series 750 event, in which they had rarely made past the first round since 2017.

In the final in Singapore on Sunday, Satwiksairaj and Chirag fought back from a game down to defeat Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri 18-21, 21-17, 21-16. But the bigger gain for them in Singapore was registering the biggest wins of the tournament, defeating World No. 1 Kim Won-ho and So Song-hae in the semifinals and ending their 34-match winning streak.

It has been a special week for Indian badminton and an even more special moment for the pair, known as Smash Brothers. In an online interaction with the media, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty discussed their mood before and after the Singapore Open and how it augurs well for the remaining part of the season and the next couple of years leading up to the Los Angeles Olympics.

“Yeah, it feels really, really special. I think the last week has been really, really good, and it’s been, I think, almost two years since we won a title. So that makes it even more special to be winning that title, and especially in a tournament like the Singapore Open, where historically we’ve not done as well. So yeah, it feels really good. And yeah, I think we played some really good badminton last week,” said Chirag Shetty.

Satwik said the Singapore Open was a rough ride for them as they made a patchy start, winning their first two rounds in three games. They gained confidence after the first two wins and, after winning the semifinal, were confident of clinching the title.

Satwik said recovering from the injuries was quite a tough period for them. He said they have improved their understanding of their own game and bodies, and also how they can manage their bodies better.

“I think the way doubles has become so fast, and it’s very tough to win a tournament, to think like beating everyone and win a tournament, I think, was really, really amazing. I think I haven’t thought that we’ll be 0-1 down at the start of the game, and in the final, with the Indonesians, one set down and coming from there, winning the tournament. I mean, for me, it will take a lot of time to sink and get back there. We won Singapore after so many drawbacks, but on the positive side, it’s just one more tournament where we gave everything, it came on our side, that’s it.

“So we have been doing the same thing, but yesterday was our day. We were on the good side. So even in the bigger tournament, we played much, much better, but we didn’t get a result. So it’s up and down always, but happy. I mean, pretty much happy how things went,” said Satwik.

Asked how they kept themselves motivated despite trailing in most of their matches and also in the final, Satwik said it was all about sticking to their game plan and executing it properly without losing hope and confidence.

“When we are down, we just want to keep the body language perfect and show them like, we are not here to lose. We just want to show everything and see what will happen. So, I think we didn’t change much, but we pretty much got confident in the second game that we are doing the right thing.

“We just need to up the quality a little bit more, like a little bit sharper on the stroke. So I think that has helped in the second and the third game, we started pretty much confident, we felt the opponents were under pressure. So we just grabbed a few points here and there, then we kept on, kept under pressure,” he added.

Both Satwik and Chirag said reuniting with Matthias Boe helped them plan better strategies for each match with more brain power.

“Yeah, I think it’s been a month, like he’s been helping us remotely. Like especially with the match analysis before the matches, and both Sathwik and even the coach (Tan Kim Her). Actually, we all four sit together usually before matches and see what works and what doesn’t. And, like a sort of brainstorm, see what the areas are where we need to attack and what the game plan should be. So yeah, like I think it’s been going good. So we are really happy,” said Chirag Shetty.

Analysing the minor changes that Boe has made in their game, Satwik said, “Yeah, like I said before, the changes are small here, and there, I think it can be, like while smashing, it can be going down the line instead of going inside the body. Those minor changes here and there can greatly affect matchplay, and I think those pointers, and especially watching matches before getting onto the court, have helped. So I think both Tan Kim Her and Matthias have been giving their inputs, and it’s been working quite well,” he said.

The duo refused to say how long their second association with Boe will continue, till the 2026 Asian Games or beyond, but said at this moment they are not looking too far ahead and taking things as they come.

They also discussed how they have to change their game after Tan Kim Her took over as coach, how it has improved their communication on the court, and work distribution.

–IANS

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