French Open final: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty record dominating straight game win over Huei and Po-Hsuan
The star Indian pair registered a dominant win over Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan in the men's doubles final.
If you’re the kind who believes that a trailer tells you a lot about a movie, the Sat-Chi show in Paris would fill you with hope on what's to come in about five months.
For, in the same city and venue that will play host to the badminton events of the Paris Olympics in July-August, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty stood atop the podium, arms aloft and smiles abound, after capturing the French Open crown on Sunday.
They did so putting the lights out on the dazzling run of Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan, the German Open winners of last weekend, in a 21-11, 21-17 annihilation across a 37-minute final. It was the shortest contest on the last day of the Super 750 tournament, which the Indians have now won twice (first in 2021) while also finishing runners-up in 2019.
Paris seems to be Satwik and Chirag’s happy place. No wonder it is where they wiped the wound of losing three straight finals after having fallen one step short at the China Masters (November 2023), Malaysia Open and India Open (both January 2024). The world No.1 pair’s first title on the BWF Tour since the Korea Open in July last year had their signature stamp of class, consistency and command.
So dominant were Satwik and Chirag through the week that they did not drop a game. Not even while manoeuvring through a tricky opener against the 2021 World Championships bronze medallists. Not even while being up against reigning world champions Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae in the semi-finals, swatting the Koreans aside and avenging their India Open final defeat that would’ve stung.
Did the unseeded Lee and Yang, no matter their rich current form, really stand a chance then? Not against the collective quality of Sat-Chi. Not in Paris, anyway.
The two pairs split the first six points but once Satwik pounced towards the net for a backhand kill, the Indians came alive. And, helped by a few defensive errors gone wide from the Taipei pair, off they went ahead 9-4.
“Stay where we are”, came the instruction from coach Mathias Boe at the mid-game interval at 11-5. His wards duly did, continuing to target Lee’s misfiring defence that leaked errors and maintaining the comfortable lead. Lee and Yang won a 27-shot rally at 16-10, but Satwik and Chirag's quick hands and reflexes on the front court placed them ahead just 15 minutes into the final.
The 16th-ranked pair came out attacking the first point of the second game, opening up a 4-1 lead. The world No.1s were quick to sneak ahead 6-5, aided by poor service errors and indecision on the back court by the men across. Lee and Yang’s more attacking intent still took them into the break with a two-point lead, which was again swiftly erased by one service and return error each upon resumption.
That’s when the Indians picked up their intensity and grew their presence on the front court, winning 8 out of the 10 points in a clutch phase that took them 19-15 ahead. One championship point gone, a Chirag smash ensured the second did not. Soon the trademark celebrations began — Chirag leaping on Satwik; Satwik shaking a leg.
The movie, gearing up for another Paris show come July, is looking good.