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Satwik & Chirag Set for Super Sunday in Bangkok

By: Editor
Date: 04 Aug, 2019
Image Courtesy: Instagram
There are few things in life that fuse romance & reality together as Sport does, and then there are certain days & occasions that further accentuate this heady combination. The Men’s Doubles Final at the Thailand Open Super 500 would be one such occasion for Satwik Sairaj & Chirag Shetty – not to mention the legion of badminton fans in India and around the world.

Their first final of the year, the first final for any men’s doubles team from India at a Super 500-level tournament, and a possible breakthrough into the top 10 of world badminton rankings – these just some of the sub-plots that underline this titanic clash for a pair who’ve always had the promise & potential – and now are backing it up with some solid performances.

Satwik & Chirag made it to the finals with a hard-fought 22-20 22-24 21-9 win over South Korean opponents Ko Sung Hyun & Shin Baek Cheol. Having won a tough first game, Satwik & Chirag seem to have the measure of their opponents in the second but were pipped right at the last minute. 

A decider looming and an opponent playing with renewed vigor might have spelt trouble for others, but Satwik & Chirag have had such mental fortitude about them this week that nothing was ever going to deter them. Their performance was a testament to not just their skill but also confidence & self-belief as they swatted away the opponents in am emphatic manner to book a summit clash against third-seeded Chinese pair Li Jun Hui & Liu Yu Chen.

Not too long ago, Satwik & Chirag were outside the top 100, I mean like way outside. They had the potential and had a few bright flashes of brilliance. Earlier this year, with Satwik Sairaj injured things looked further difficult. And yet, that mental toughness I spoke about earlier is what has made all the difference.

Satwik has come back stronger & hungier from his injury layoff; and Chirag has added more craft and subtlety to his play. This lethal combination is now setting the courts on fire, and opponents are finding the heat a little difficult to handle now.

What a week this has been an – emotional rollercoaster, a humdinger in every sense and a superlative testimony to some gutsy performances. As Satwik & Chirag take the court, it will indeed be a #SuperSunday we’ve all been waiting for. 

Fans, history, expectations – there is so much riding on this moment. And yet as they have done all week long. Satwik & Chirag will do well to drown out all the noise and just focus on the other side of the court – and the title looks theirs for the taking. Yes, the opponent is tough but then as I spoke of the romance & reality at the beginning – this just seems meant to be. After all, dreams do become real – they certainly do in sport.

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