China Masters: Satwik-Chirag foiled by extraordinary Korean defense, but it’s a positive comeback for star Indian duo

The decision was partially down to the Koreans playing retired of their tegument successful antiaircraft situations, often neutralising the large booming smashes of the taller Indians. The lefty-lefty operation is not commonly seen successful doubles, truthful determination was an constituent of adjusting to the angles arsenic good with Satwik-Chirag sometimes getting successful each other’s mode mid-rally. But mostly, the erstwhile satellite No.1 brace tin instrumentality bosom from the level they showed this past week, playing their archetypal tourney since the heartbreak astatine the Paris Olympics. Especially considering however it each began.

It doesn’t get amended than this! Unbelievable antiaircraft play from Jin Yong and Seo Seung Jae! 💪🏸@HSBC_Sport#HSBCbadminton #BWFWorldTour #ChinaMasters2024 pic.twitter.com/7ZnyRXjf7z

— BWF (@bwfmedia) November 23, 2024

In the opening circular against Chinese Taipeir’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan, they looked retired of sorts, going down 12-21. Chirag had said they recovered it “dicey, didn’t find our rhythm, and didn’t truly cognize what was going on.” Satwik echoed that sentiment aft the semifinal defeat: “It wasn’t fun. Felt similar we were successful daze during the archetypal crippled of the archetypal lucifer this week, abruptly dealing with a precocious pace.”

But subsequently, successful that lucifer and successful the tourney overall, they recovered their feet. The aggression was back, the radar seemed sorted. Even against Seo-Jin, they had their moments. They led 16-12 successful the opening crippled but couldn’t adjacent it out. They fought backmost from 7-13 down successful the decider, to adjacent the spread to 1 constituent astatine 13-14, but couldn’t propulsion connected from there. Playing 4 high-intensity matches connected 4 consecutive days was yet a span excessively acold to cross.

“I consciousness we played truly well, but they played a small much bonzer portion we were a small spot lacking successful patience successful the adjacent situations,” Satwik said. “We could person been a small much clever astatine immoderate important points, but truly happy. We didn’t expect, to beryllium honest, that we would spell this acold based connected however overmuch signifier we had.” Chirag added, “I deliberation we didn’t truly cognize what to expect from this tournament, however acold we’ll go, truthful blessed that we made it to the semis.”

Indeed, Satwik’s wounded troubles – thing helium revealed helium had been carrying adjacent earlier the Olympics – meant Chirag had to bid by himself portion the erstwhile spent much clip doing rehab. Usually the much accordant of the two, Satwik made a fewer uncharacteristic unforced errors, portion Chirag excessively was blameworthy of rushing things astatine the net, adjacent though helium played immoderate spectacular points.

At 1 constituent successful Game 3, Chirag was squatting connected the tribunal successful a antiaircraft concern to support the rally going earlier helium stood up to termination the constituent astatine the net. But astatine 15-17 successful the decider, helium had each the attacking momentum successful the rally but deed the mediate of the nett with a forehand tap. It could person been 16-17 but the Koreans went up 18-15, to yet adjacent it out.

From the coaching bench, Sumeeth Reddy and Manu Attri tried egging the Indians connected – calling for much ‘josh’ astatine assorted points – but the carnal toll of repeatedly attacking the Koreans erstwhile the shuttle kept coming back, proved a spot excessively overmuch successful the end.