India's badminton duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty stormed into the Hong Kong Open Super 500 final. This was the first time of the season that the duo managed to reach the final. The World No. 9 pair defeated Chinese Taipei’s Bing-Wei Lin and Chen Cheng Kuan in straight games, 21-17, 21-15, to book their place for the final, which will take place on Sunday, September 14.
The duo finally broke the curse of the final after falling short in six semifinals this year. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will now face the winners of the other semifinal between China’s Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang and Chinese Taipei’s Fang-Chih Lee/Fang-Jen Lee.
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But this final isn’t just another match for Satwik and Chirag. It’s a big moment in a year that’s been filled with challenges, both physically and emotionally.
Last year, the duo were close to clinching a medal in the Paris Olympics, but they were knocked out by Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in a heartbreaking defeat. They did manage to bounce back with a bronze at the World Championships, becoming only the third Indian pair, after Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, to win multiple medals at the prestigious event. This was a tough year for the Indian duo
Satwik has had a string of setbacks. After dealing with back and elbow injuries, he faced a personal tragedy when his father passed away from a heart attack in February. Just when he started training again, he was sidelined with chickenpox.
Chirag also had his share of struggles, battling a recurring back injury that affected their rhythm on court.
Saturday’s win, therefore, was a statement of resilience as much as form, offering a glimpse of the hunger that once made them trailblazers for Indian doubles on the world stage.