Thomas Cup: Satwik-Chirag
There were numerous instances when Satwik-Chirag looked out of sorts at Thomas Cup 2024 as India’s title defence ended. But with Paris in mind, it may not be the worst thing to happen to them.
The allure of golden dreams has faded, and now it’s time for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty to focus on the tangible work ahead. As scaffolding goes up around their Olympic 2024 aspirations, the Paris gold that once seemed within reach has become a distant goal. However, this shift in perspective could be the best thing for them as they prepare for the upcoming challenges.
In the past four months, Satwik-Chirag have experienced setbacks, losing three tournament finals and relinquishing their World No 1 ranking to drop to No 3. Their reign at the Thomas Cup also came to an end as India lost in the quarterfinals, with the ace doubles pair suffering a defeat to the current World No 1s. While they are not commodities but individuals with emotions, it would be inaccurate to liken their recent challenges to a market correction. However, these setbacks will undoubtedly strengthen and refine their game as they prepare for the Olympics, as there is still room for improvement in their skill set.
Just as PV Sindhu’s significant loss at the 2017 Glasgow World Championships spurred her to evolve beyond relying solely on power and strength, these recent setbacks will similarly drive Satwik-Chirag to address their weaknesses and refine their game for the upcoming challenges. Rather than applying a superficial layer of aspiration, they will now focus on identifying and rectifying any flaws or inconsistencies in their performance. These experiences will strip away any illusions of having everything figured out, reminding them that success requires continuous improvement and dedication, not just showing up at Paris expecting everything to fall into place.
The recent World Championships exposed Satwik-Chirag’s struggles against left-right pairings, particularly when they faced the Danish duo Anders Rasmussen and Kim Astrup. However, their performance at the Thomas Cup in Chengdu revealed a deeper issue, with the pair appearing disorganized and out of sync during crucial moments. Despite their efforts, their desperation to rectify the situation was evident, leading to lapses in positioning and coordination on the court. This was particularly surprising considering their typically seamless division of labor and ability to guard their respective territories effectively on most occasions.
Adding to the complexity, Satwik-Chirag demonstrated a contrasting performance in the second set, showing good attack and engaging in extended rallies. However, they encountered difficulties in the first set against the Chinese players, who utilized a variety of serves that posed challenges for the Indian pair. At the heart of their challenges lies the fact that they have faced formidable opponents from China, losing five out of seven matches against them, including in crucial finals. Doubles badminton relies heavily on dominating the initial four strokes, and the serve and return has become a contentious area, particularly against Chinese pairings like Liang Weikeng, who adeptly incorporate serve variations to unsettle their opponents.
The assortment of spinning serves, particularly the tumble serve, has become a daunting challenge for Chirag, although Satwik also struggles to read it at times. Once the return becomes tentative, what ensued on Friday was a display of confusion and errors on the court unlike anything seen from this pair before. They faced difficulties against the Indonesian flat game of Bagas Maulana-Muhammad Shohibul Fikri on Thursday as well, but the Chinese coaches exerted extra effort to make every moment difficult for the Indians, knowing they are strong contenders for gold. The serves overwhelmed and hindered the Indians on the day. “In the first game, they dominated the net and kept coming at us aggressively. It was like, ‘Oh, you need to be ready.’ Within 5 seconds, we lost two points. It wasn’t about rallying; within 10 minutes, it was 11-4. I wanted to engage in more rallies, but how? It happened every time,” Satwik later remarked.
