How Chirag Shetty-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy beat the Chinese Taipei duo at Tokyo Olympics

Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy ended the 15-match winning streak of Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin to launch their campaign on a rousing note at the Tokyo Olympics.

The World No. 3 Chinese Taipei pair have been in dream form this year having won all three tournaments they played in 2021. They triumphed at the BWF World Tour Finals in Bangkok in January 2021 to complete their hat-trick of titles.

Earlier, the in-form pair also swept two Thai Open tournaments at the start of the year in Bangkok, making them the team to beat at the Tokyo Games.

However, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj grounded them with a stunning 21-16, 16-21, 27-25 victory in the men’s doubles first outing. In a cliff-hanger of an encounter, the young Indian pair sealed their opponents’ fate on the fifth match point.

The opening Group A match lasted for an hour and nine minutes and kept the Indian fans on the edge of their seats. Chirag and Satwiksairaj will play against the World No. 1 and top seeds from Indonesia, Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, in their next match.

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Chirag and Satwiksairaj believed in themselves

Chirag and Satwiksairaj were placed in the most difficult draw, having clubbed with World No. 1 and World No. 3 pairs in Group A. However, the World No. 10 Indian duo of Chirag and Satwiksairaj believed in themselves and dished out a fearless brand of badminton.

Chirag and Satwiksairaj had never played against them on the BWF circuit prior to their clash today but that did not hamper the Indian duo as they concentrated on their own game rather than being bothered by their opponents' form and rankings.

In what was a battle of nerves, Chirag and Satwiksairaj pulled out one of the biggest wins of their careers so far. The belief and trust in each other’s abilities helped them start their campaign on a winning note.

The pair of Yang Lee and Wang Chi-Lin won bronze medals at the 2018 World Championships and were clear favorites to win against the less experienced Chirag and Satwik.

Guidance from Mathias Boe helped Chirag-Satwik win a thriller

During his marathon career, Mathias Boe has played several such exciting matches with his Danish partner Carsten Mongensen. Boe also played against this Chinese Taipei pair a few years ago.

Mathias Boe’s knowledge of the Chinese Taipei pair and knowing the weakness of the opponents played an important role in Chirag-Satwik’s crucial win on Saturday. They got some useful tips from the experienced Danish player, who has been coaching the Indians since January 2021.

Boe retired from competitive badminton only a year ago and hence knows all the players on the circuit. Having played against most of the current players, Boe is a best person to guide from the coach’s seat.

A display of fearless badminton helped Chirag-Satwik clinch a crucial win

The chemistry between Chirag and Satwik is absolutely perfect. In doubles, it is very important to have proper coordination between the two partners. Pitted against one of the most formidable opponents on their Olympic debut, many experts did not give the Indian pair any chance.

However, Chirag and Satwik firmly backed each other in critical situations of the match. They encouraged each other and covered each other’s mistakes with open minds. In the third and deciding game the battle was mostly going on in the minds of the players. Keeping composure was the key. The final result of the match was not in the minds of Chirag and Satwik.

They knew playing to the best of their abilities in fearless fashion would be their best bet to win the match. As things unfolded, that is exactly what happened. On the fifth match point, Chirag and Satwik showed nerves of steel and converted that vital point to record one of the most sensational wins of their careers.