CHENNAI : Over the years, doubles specialists, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, have flourished to become a difficult proposition for their rivals at the BWF circuit. They have predominantly been the aggressor and have choked their rivals out with their relentless badminton. But Saturday was a rare sight as the former World No 1 duo, taking part in the men’s doubles semifinals of the ongoing Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur, was handed the taste of their own medicine.
Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae, partnering for the first time in six years, operated like they have never been apart and stopped the Indian duo from imposing their playing style on them before going on to record a comfortable 21-10, 21-15 victory.
The circumstances are different though. With the Malaysia Open being the season-opener, this is an event where the shuttlers generally tend to ignite their engines before planning their drive ahead of a long gruelling season.
The road ahead generally tends to be bumpy and steep for most. Also, Satwik and Chirag have been away from the court for a while and they are looking to regain that spark after Paris Games heartache.
After a close opening exchange, the Korean pair gradually gained control of the opening game. After the first break, it was mostly one-way traffic with the Korean pair sealing the game with relative ease.
