History is on the verge of being created by India’s top men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, as they have a strong chance of being crowned Asian champions at the Badminton Asia Championships on Sunday. The duo will face off against Malaysia’s Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi, the world number 8 combo, in the summit clash. The two pairs have faced each other six times before, with three wins apiece. Their most recent match was at the Swiss Open semifinals, where the Indians emerged victorious in a three-set thriller.
Satwik-Chirag have been in incredible form and have won all their matches at the Badminton Asia Championship in straight games, except the semifinals against Olympic champions Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin, who retired hurt midway through the second game after injuring his leg while going for an expensive lunge. The Indians had led the proceeding, taking the first game at 21-18. They trailed 1-5 in the second game before coming up level, and were in the midst of fast and furious exchanges when Chin-Lin injured his leg, forcing them to retire from the match.
The world number 6 Indian pair started the campaign opener with a 21-14, 21-17 win against Malaysia’s Tan Kian Meng and Tan Wee Kiong. They followed it with yet another straight-game rout of Jin Yong and Na Sung Seung 21-13, 21-11 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, they faced off against their idols – Indonesians Mohammed Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan – and took merely thirty minutes to get past the world number 3 Indonesian duo at 21-11, 21-12.
The Indian combo, who claimed their first BWF World Tour title of the season at the Swiss Open in March, has had a seamless campaign in Dubai so far. They will start as favorites today, given their splendid record in tournament finals. Satwik-Chirag did not lose a final when they made one in recent times, with their only defeat in a final coming at the Commonwealth Games last year, when India lost the mixed team gold medal match to Malaysia.
The weather conditions in Dubai, where the Badminton Asia Championships are being held, are expected to be hot and dry, with temperatures in the mid-30s Celsius during the day. The humidity is relatively low, however, so players should not experience much discomfort due to sweating. There is no rain in the forecast, so the matches should not be affected by any weather-related delays.
Representing India, the men’s doubles final at the Badminton Asia Championships would be Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The duo has been in top form throughout the tournament, winning all their matches in straight games except for the semifinals. For Malaysia, the likely pairing will be Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi, who have also been performing well, having defeated some tough opponents en route to the final.
Overall, it promises to be an exciting final, with both teams evenly matched and looking to claim the title of Asian champions. The Indian duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will be hoping to add another major title to their impressive list of achievements, while the Malaysian pair of Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi will be determined to upset the odds and emerge victorious. It’s sure to be an epic battle on the badminton court!
