Patumwan (Thailand), May 17 (IANS) India’s top men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty finished runners-up at the Thailand Open after going down to Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin 21-12, 25-23 in a 53-minute final at the Nimibutr Stadium in Thailand.

A difficult opening game saw Satwik and Chirag struggle to find momentum, with the Indonesians racing away to a 21-12 win. The Indian duo bounced back in the second game, producing a strong fightback and taking it down to the wire, where, after saving five championship points in a row, they eventually succumbed to a 25-23 defeat.

Earlier, they reached their first final of the 2026 season after defeating Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin in a thrilling semifinal on Saturday.

The world No. 4 Indian duo, seeded first in the tournament, won a gripping match 19-21, 22-20, 21-16. The contest lasted one hour and 22 minutes, extending their head-to-head record against the Malaysians to 8-2.

With PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen already out of the tournament, Satwik and Chirag carried India’s hopes in Bangkok and handled the pressure well in front of a lively crowd that made the semifinal a high-stakes battle.

The Indian duo aimed for their first title since winning the Thailand Open in 2024 and their first final appearance since the China Masters in 2025.

The Malaysian pair started strong, leading 3-1 in the opening game before Satwik and Chirag tied it at 7-7. However, a few moments of hesitation and miscommunication allowed Goh and Izzuddin to gain an advantage.

The Malaysians went into the interval with a three-point lead and later increased it to 18-12, appearing to be in control. But Satwik and Chirag made a strong comeback, scoring four consecutive points to get back into the match.

–IANS

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