India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have ended their 2-year title drought. Former number-1 pair of Satvig-Chirag have won the Singapore Open title by defeating the Indonesian pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in the men’s doubles final. The Indian pair made a spectacular comeback after falling behind and captured the Singapore Open title for the first time. This is the ninth BWF World Tour title of the career of this Asian Games and Commonwealth Games champion Indian pair.
After falling behind in the opening game, Satwik-Chirag won 18-21, 21-17, 21-16 in a thrilling match and won their third title of Super 750 level. This victory was very special for this Indian pair, ranked fourth in the world ranking, because they became the first Indians to win the men’s doubles title at the Singapore Open. Satwik and Chirag last won the Thailand Open title in 2024. Since then they have reached four finals but finished runner-up each time. They also ended their title drought with the win in Singapore.
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Indonesian pair had a bad record
Before the final, the Indian pair had to face defeat in two of the three matches played against the Indonesian pair. Their last defeat against this rival pair was in the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Open in January. Despite falling behind in the first game, the Indian pair increased the pace of their game and dominated the long rallies to turn the tide of the match against the world number three Indonesian pair. The win also capped off a great week for the Indian pair. They created a big upset by defeating South Korea’s current world champion and top seed Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae in the semi-finals.
The final match was not easy
This tough match in the Men’s Doubles final was not easy for the Indian pair. After a slow start, Satwik and Chirag gradually gained momentum and eventually dominated the contest. Satwik and Chirag looked somewhat out of rhythm in the first game. They were trailing 2-5 in the initial stages but thanks to Satwik’s powerful smashes, the Indian pair made a comeback and leveled the score at 5-5.
After this the competition was closely contested. Till the interval, the Indian pair had a slight lead of 11-9. The tone of the match changed after the break. Alfian and Shohibul Fikri took the lead by winning three consecutive points. The Indonesian pair led 15-14 but the Indians leveled the score at 16-16, 17-17 and then 18-18 after a long and tiring rally. However, some mistakes made at important times cost him dearly. The Indonesian pair took full advantage of this and won the first game in 21 minutes.
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Satvi-Chirag played fast in the net after falling behind
The Indian pair made a comeback with aggressive attitude in the second game. Adopting a positive attitude from the start, they took a 2-0 lead and led 11-8 at the interval. By scoring six consecutive points after the break, the Indian pair took the lead to 14-8 and increased the pressure on the Indonesian players. The rival pair tried to make a comeback but Satwik and Chirag did not maintain control of the match. They went up 20-15. The Indonesian pair did reduce the gap to 20-17 but the Indian pair leveled the match by winning the second game in 24 minutes. During this, Chirag’s accurate and fast play at the net played an important role.
The third and deciding game saw a tough fight between the two pairs but in the moments of pressure, the Indian pair played its best. Satwik’s powerful smashes proved decisive. The Indian pair took a 6-2 lead by winning five consecutive points. Even after this, their aggressive play continued and till the last interval they were ahead 11-6. Satwik and Chirag took the lead to 12-7 but the Indonesian pair made a brilliant comeback and reduced the gap to 12-11.
Indian players did not lose their composure. Satwik’s powerful smashes in pressure moments came in handy for the Indian pair again and again. The Indian pair took a strong hold on the match by increasing the lead from 15-13 to 16-13 and then 18-13. The Indonesian pair once again tried to make a comeback but continuous mistakes at the net increased their problems. As victory came closer, Satwik’s aggressive strikes once again proved effective and the Indian pair secured five match points by reaching 20-15. Indian players were also shown yellow cards due to delay in service but it had no impact on the outcome of the match. On the very next point, Alfian’s return got stuck in the net and with this the pair of Satwik and Chirag drowned in the celebration of a memorable victory.
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