Satwik-Chirag pull out of Malaysia Masters after Thailand Open silver

Patumwan, May 17 (IANS) India’s leading men’s doubles combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will skip the upcoming Malaysia Masters as the pair continues to carefully manage their schedule following an encouraging run to the Thailand Open final. 

After settling for silver on Sunday, the Indian duo confirmed they will not compete in Malaysia and will instead return for the Singapore, Indonesia and Australia legs of the tour.

“No, we are not playing Malaysia. We are playing Singapore, Indonesia, and Australia,” Reddy mentioned after the contest.

The decision comes after Satwik and Chirag showed signs of rediscovering rhythm and confidence during their campaign in Thailand, where they reached their first final in recent weeks before losing 21-12, 25-23 to Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin in a high-speed contest at Nimibutr Stadium.

While the opening game slipped away quickly, the Indian duo mounted a spirited fightback in the second, saving four championship points before narrowly falling short. Reflecting on the match, Shetty admitted the pace of the conditions made it difficult for the pair to settle early.

“Yeah, I think we didn't start off that well. Shuttles were quite fast and we were trying to keep it low as much as possible. But we were always on the back foot. But second game we were taking the shuttle a lot higher and mixing it up with some flicks as well. But in the end, it wasn't enough,” Shetty said.

The Indians initially struggled to adapt to both the shuttle's speed and the aggressive style imposed by the Indonesian pair, particularly on the faster side of the court.

“Yeah, on the first side we played on the faster side. It was a little difficult for us to control. They took us into their game style and it was tough. But it took time for us to adjust. The way we played the second game, I think a little bit sharper in those few points, maybe we could have won the third game,” Reddy said.

Much of the final unfolded at blistering pace around the net, with very few lifted exchanges as both pairs attempted to maintain attacking control throughout the rallies.

“Hardly. The shuttles were also quite fast. When the shuttles were new, it was really really fast and it was very difficult to adjust. And the rallies were so fast that you didn't really know how hard you need to hit to control it. But it was quite fast today compared to the rest of the game,” Shetty said.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on the title, the Indian pair viewed the week as another important step in regaining the sharpness and belief that had previously made them one of the world’s most dangerous doubles teams.

Reddy acknowledged that confidence had dipped over recent months, but felt the partnership was steadily moving back towards its best level.

“Except today, the way we played, I think we are getting back that touch. I think we should believe more and be confident on court rather than playing 50-50. I feel like from the starting onward, we are 50 when we enter on the court. But before, one year back, we were always 90% confident. But we are getting back that confidence. So happy with how we played this weekend. It's more about mental rather than physical I think. But things have started working to ourselves. I think maybe sooner or later, very soon, we will be on the winning side rather than second. But happy,” Reddy said.

Shetty echoed that assessment and pointed to India’s recent Thomas Cup campaign as a turning point in helping the pair regain trust in their game.

“Yeah, I think in the start of the year, we played well like I said before. But slowly we are getting back the confidence I feel. Especially after the Thomas Cup, we felt a lot more confident in our game. Although we lost today, but I think we could go on,” Shetty said.

Although the Thailand Open ended with another runners-up finish, the week offered encouraging signs for the Indian duo ahead of a demanding stretch of tournaments later in the season.