Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty clinch men's doubles title at Thailand Open

NEW DELHI: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the star Indian duo, received a significant boost ahead of the Paris Olympics by clinching the men's doubles title at the Thailand Open Super 500 badminton tournament. The world number three pair defeated Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi of China, ranked 29th, in straight games with a score of 21-15, 21-15, securing their ninth BWF world tour title."Bangkok has always been special for us, we won our first Super Series title back in 2019 here and also the Thomas cup, so it has been a special place and so happy to be here," Chirag said after the win.This victory comes at a crucial point in Satwik and Chirag's career, following some disappointing performances in recent tournaments. They had lost in the second round at the All England Championships and missed the Asia Championships due to Satwik's injury. Their Thomas Cup campaign also fell short, with a few close losses to top pairs.Entering the Thailand Open final without dropping a game, Satwik and Chirag were the favourites to win the title. Despite Chen and Liu's impressive run to the final and their unbeaten record in summit clashes, the Indian pair proved too strong for the Chinese, not allowing them to engage in long rallies or apply sustained pressure.The Indians took an early 5-1 lead, but the Chinese fought back to level the score at 10-10. However, Satwik and Chirag maintained their composure and secured the first game with a series of well-placed shots and excellent serves.In the second game, Satwik and Chirag established an 8-3 lead and maintained a five-point cushion at the interval. Although Chen and Liu managed to close the gap to 14-15, the Indians held their nerve and sealed the match with a flurry of smashes from Satwik, grabbing five match points before the Chinese sent Chirag's smash into the net.As part of the celebrations, Satwik broke into a dance with his racquet, while Chirag threw his shirt into the crowd, showcasing their joy and relief at securing this important title.(Inputs from PTI)