Satwik-Chirag On Singapore Semis Exit: 'After What We Faced, Never Expected...'

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Last Updated:May 31, 2025, 23:03 IST

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty aim to regain top ranking after 'unexpected' semi-final journey in Singapore Open Super 750.

Indian men’s doubles team, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, expressed satisfaction with their performance at the Singapore Open Super 750 despite not being in peak physical condition. The duo, who are Asian Games champions, made a strong comeback, advancing to the semifinals before losing to Malaysia’s world No. 3 pair, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, with scores of 21-19, 10-21, 18-21.

Chirag reflected on their journey, stating, “To come this far with the number of days we’ve trained and the weeks, months we’ve had both professionally and personally, to get back here and play a semifinal, we never really expected."

“So, I think plenty of positives. You always want to go deeper and win the title, but when I look back at what we faced over the past couple of months, to come back and play a semifinal is a really good start. We’ll go to Indonesia now."

Since the Olympics, Satwik and Chirag have faced various setbacks affecting their consistency. After reaching the semifinals at the China Open last year, they made similar progress at the Malaysia and India Opens before encountering health and personal issues.

Satwik experienced a major personal loss when his father passed away in February due to cardiac arrest. He also had to miss the Sudirman Cup due to illness. Chirag’s back injury resurfaced during the All England Championships, interrupting their campaign in March. These disruptions caused their ranking to drop from world No. 1 to 27.

Satwik explained that regaining their ranking was a goal, as they were unhappy with being ranked 27th. Despite the setbacks and limited tournament participation, they consistently reached the semifinals, indicating positive progress.

He highlighted their ability to challenge top players, even when not at their best, which boosts their confidence for the future.

Chirag underwent a rigorous rehabilitation process for his back injury, and Satwik praised his partner’s dedication and effort, acknowledging the pain Chirag still endures but does not reveal.

Satwik expressed admiration for Chirag’s perseverance, noting how they support and motivate each other to perform well in upcoming tournaments.

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