‘Shenzhen win gave us confidence’: Satwik-Chirag banishes World C heartbreak, focuses on Asian Games

Satwiksiraj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (Image credit: BAI) NEW DELHI: Satwiksiraj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have built a reputation for doing things the hard way. They fall behind, regroup and more often than not find their way back.On Sunday in Shenzhen, this familiar scenario gave them one of the most important victories of the season. The Indian pair rallied from a set down to beat China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 to claim their maiden China Masters Super 750 title, ending a run of two previous final defeats at the tournament.The triumph was significant beyond the trophy. Just two weeks earlier, Satwik and Chirag left the World Championships in Delhi devastated after surrendering the winning position in the quarter-finals. Even their participation in China was uncertain, with Satwik continuing to manage a chronic shoulder injury and Chirag still wearing a lower back brace – something he had dealt with for a year and a half.Five grueling games later, they were back on the podium.

“Shenzhen gives us confidence”

The China Masters has been a special fixture in the Indian’s career. They finished runners-up in 2023 and 2025, but the venue has repeatedly produced some of their strongest performances, even if they haven’t arrived for preparation or confidence.“We didn’t think about losing two finals there. We thought we played two finals there. It’s like the French Open for us – we feel very comfortable, the stadium is good, the atmosphere is good,” Satwik said.The 26-year-old pointed to a number of encouraging campaigns in Shenzhen during difficult phases of their careers.“Even this year we were coming back from injury, we wanted confidence and Shenzhen gave us that. We always go with the same intention. Whenever we get a chance, we take it. All we were concerned about was whether the body cooperated or not, if not, we wanted to take a step back for the Asian Games, but we were pretty confident during the week,” Satwik said.That confidence was tested almost immediately in the final. The Chinese pair dominated the opening game with ruthless flat exchanges that prevented the Indians from creating attacking opportunities – a tactical pattern that had previously plagued them.But unlike in the World Cup, where Satwik’s shoulder visibly limited the overhead game, the Indian pair gradually struggled to control the rally. They took lifts, dictated the midfield and allowed Satwik’s attack to come alive again. A comeback followed.

The difference from the World Cup

The transformation, they both insisted, was more physical than mental. “I think it was mainly physical. I think we improved a lot after the World Cup. We got time, we got down and adjusted,” Satwik said.The unusual scheduling of the BWF calendar – with the mandatory Super 750 race two weeks after the World Championships and another fortnight before the Asian Games – left little room for recovery in Delhi.“The World Championship was tough for us because we didn’t have much time (on the court). We played one match, then we played the quarterfinals right away. So I think after (the) World Championship our body kind of adjusted, got used to it. Then we got a little bit better. Then we weren’t sure even in the China Masters how much we could cope with the body. I think it was pretty cool the whole week. So we took it pretty comfortably for the whole week. That’s a good sign,” said Satwik.Chirag echoed that assessment, saying a lack of match rhythm hurt them more than anything else at the World Cup.“At the World Cup, we didn’t have much court time per se, especially when we went into a tough match in the quarter-finals against the Chinese. And we played the tournament after almost three odd months. And the first match we played was very scratchy. I think our body didn’t cope with it that well,” Chirag said.The contrast was evident in China. Aside from the opening round, every game was a long shot, forcing the Indians to endure four three-game sweeps.“Whereas when we played five matches here at the China Open and we played almost three sets, apart from the first round we played four three sets. And yet I think the body feels a lot better than at the World Championships. So I think we got an extra week of training towards the China Masters. That really helped us do well,” Chirag said.

Perfect timing ahead of the Asian Games

The duo’s focus now shifts to Japan and the Asian Games to be held in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19, where the Indians will defend both the men’s doubles gold and the Indian team silver.“We have 10 days before we head to Japan. And today was a day off. Obviously we only arrived early in the morning today so we didn’t really get much sleep. So tomorrow we’re back on the court training for the Asian Games,” Chirag said.