Satwik-Chirag beat world champions Seo-Kim to reach Singapore Open Super 750 final

“The way we were playing, even when we were down we backed each other up. We knew they crack at some time if we stick to our plans. Points would eventually come. We had that belief,” Chirag told BWF.

The path from 9-13 to 17-17 was the turnaround they had been building toward for a year — a period in which their game has evolved to become more complete than even when they were world No 1. The two Olympic disappointments have better armed them for beating pairings who make them uncomfortable.

Their reputation as slam-bang smash machines helped. It meant the creative southpaw Seo Seung-jae was perpetually in two minds, always bracing for the big smash to the back court. While the fast conditions neutralised Korean skills, the Indians played snappy, flat drives, pushing Seo-Kim back and opening up wide spaces to kill. Levelling at 17-all, the gear change from five points down was almost imperceptible. Seo was so wary of the smash that the Indians gleefully pinned him back and took the first lead with front-court kills at 18-17.

Satwik remains uncertain in confidence, but in a classic 1-2 move the duo operate almost on autopilot. On the most crucial point of the match — getting to 19-18 without wilting — Satwik soared to smash first, then Chirag leapt like a second giant wave to hit the Koreans. Satwik made amends for a service error that followed with an aggressive cross-net, wholly unexpected by the Koreans who had beaten the Indians twice last year. The opening set was claimed 21-19 after a fast, taut, tense rally in which the Korean defence parried back an Indian attacking flurry until they couldn’t — a Satwik smash finally beating Seo’s usually watertight defence.

Still, Seo-Kim are No 1 and on an undefeated streak for a reason. The Indians trailed again in the second, even as Seo was now convinced the Indian attack was an almighty headache. From 0-3, Satwik-Chirag tried the decoy smash — the ultimate moment in men’s doubles — when Chirag jumped as if to hit but Satwik rose like a booming echo right behind him and completed the action. Chirag followed with cheetah-like front-court interceptions, boldly attacking the Korean serve and sowing more doubts. Satwik rattled Kim with high flats at face height, putting the Koreans in an awkward bind.

“Set 2 plan was to just keep pushing at the net. I felt like they were not in a comfortable position to defend. They didn’t want to defend. So we got into that game, didn’t leave them, just rushed them,” Satwik told BWF.
The real war bugle was blown at 9-9 with Chirag’s iconic cry of ‘Maar’.

Even as the Koreans took a slender 11-10 lead, they had been split twice — both Seo and Kim going for the same shuttle, colliding twice. Things went to 11-14, but the Indians were prepared. The attack was earned by keeping Korean playmaker Seo under pressure with hard pushes, depriving him of time to create openings while going on the attack themselves.

“If we have to beat them we have to be steady. By far they have the strongest defence on the circuit. Normal rallies we are OK, but when rallies get longer they are quite strong in defence. So we need to be calm and steady,” Chirag said.

Satwik drew cross lifts with his smashes for Chirag to kill. After splitting the Koreans again, Seo was shaken enough to send a rare smash long. With Satwik’s attack near-unretrievable and the Indians assured at the net, Seo erred on a serve. The Koreans blinking was the tactical win.