Satwik-Chirag finish runners-up at Hong Kong Open

Hong Kong, Sep 14 (PTI) India’s top men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty signed off with a runner-up finish after going down narrowly to China’s Olympic silver medallists Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in the final of the Hong Kong Open Super 500 here on Sunday.

The world No. 9 Indians, who bagged a second successive World Championships bronze last month, squandered a one-game lead before losing 21-19 14-21 17-21 to the sixth-ranked Chinese duo in a tense 61-minute summit clash.

It was their first final appearance in 16 months since winning the Thailand Open, and the loss ended their perfect record in Super 500 finals, having won all four they had contested earlier.

The Indians, who have reached six semifinals this season, had a 3-6 head-to-head record against Liang and Wang coming into the match. They had beaten them at the World Championships in Paris.

However, Satwik and Chirag failed to sustain the momentum after pocketing the opener and, having conceded an inexplicable 2-11 deficit in the decider, were left chasing the game.

The opening game turned into a thriller with Satwik and Chirag matching the Chinese pair shot for shot. Chirag unleashed booming smashes early on to erase a 0-2 deficit and give India a 9-8 edge. At 10-10, a wide shot from the Indians was neutralised by a Liang error before another Chirag smash ensured a slender advantage at the break.

The Indians went on the offensive after the interval, moving to 13-11 with a series of ferocious smashes. Satwik’s body attack on Wang, followed by a flat, fast exchange and a sharp Chirag serve, pushed them four points clear.

The Chinese clawed back with four straight points in a tight front-court battle as the Indians committed costly net errors. A controversial call, where Wang appeared to strike the shuttle before it crossed the net, gave them an 18-17 lead, only for India to respond immediately.

Satwik’s thunderous smash levelled things at 19-19, and when Liang went wide, the Indians earned a game point. Chirag then produced a precision serve on the line to seal a pulsating opener.

The Chinese pair stormed back in the second game, with Wang dazzling from the back court to open up an 8-2 lead. India closed the gap briefly through a Wang service error and a long shot, but a fault called on Satwik for a high serve and a deft Liang forehand at the net saw the Chinese go into the mid-game interval with an 11-6 cushion.

With the drift aiding them, Liang and Wang’s smashes carried extra sting as they stretched the lead to 13-7. A sharp serve and follow-up smash allowed the Indians to reduce the margin to 10-13, before Chirag’s block-and-net play brought it down to 12-14.

However, a couple of errors from Chirag gave the Chinese breathing space at 17-12. A booming smash then handed them six game points, and they levelled the match when Satwik pushed one wide.

The momentum firmly stayed with Liang and Wang in the decider as they raced to a 5-0 lead, leaving Satwik and Chirag scrambling for answers. A service fault on Liang briefly halted the run, but the Chinese regained control quickly, capitalising on India’s coordination errors to move 8-1 ahead.

When Chirag found the net, Liang and Wang went into the final interval with a commanding 11-2 advantage. The Indians mounted a late fightback, saving three match points to close the gap to 17-20, but a wayward return eventually sealed the contest in favour of the Chinese pair.

Later in the day, Lakshya Sen will be fighting for the men’s singles title, taking on familiar foe in Li Shi Feng at the Hong Kong Coliseum. PTI ATK BS BS