There will be two Indian matches on semifinal Saturday at the India Open Super 750 in New Delhi.
That's two more than the last year, when no Indian made it past the second round. And it's only fitting that it's HS Prannoy and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty - the most consistent Indian badminton players over the last year - who will feature in them.
Both won their quarterfinal clashes in very contrasting manners: Prannoy battling in three, thrilling games to beat Wang Tzu Wei 21-11, 17-21, 21-18 and Sat-Chi dominating a difficult challenge in Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen 21-7, 21-10 in an intense match.
If these patterns sound familiar, it's because they are - a battle-back-from-the-brink is classic Prannoy, a masterclass of focussed aggression is classic Sat-Chi.
This time the classics were played out in front of a loud home crowd. Fans so vocal that Prannoy said he knew if he reduced his deficit close enough, the crowd support would carry him through. Fans so boisterous, Satwik said he was almost annoyed at the noise while serving. And the fans who stayed back very late on a very cold New Delhi night to cheer for their compatriots on court were not disappointed.
Prannoy's 77-minute rollercoaster and Satwik-Chirag's 35-minute blitz were not just experiences to enjoy for the diehard Indian badminton fan, it was also a real-time glimpse into just how much the top Indians have improved since the last India Open.
The key was all in the mind.
Prannoy braves the present
This is Prannoy's first ever semi-final at the India Open. He has made the quarters several times before when it was lower-grade Super 500 tournament, running into a certain Viktor Axelsen twice. This time too, Prannoy had fallen into the Dane's quarter, but his withdrawal meant the Indian was the highest seed in his section and he showed it in how smartly he navigated his way through it.
A quick-off-the-blocks win against old foe Chou Tien Chen. Fighting from a game down against Priyanshu Rajawat in an inter-generational clash. Staying calm and brave when facing a 10-5 deficit in the decider in the quarter.
Being brave in tight spots is a skill the 31-year-old is still learning, he says. A tough third game is a situation he's often found himself in, but it's where he's had his most iconic results - a World Championship medal beating Axelsen, an Asian Games medal beating Lee Zii Jia.
"You need to be fighting with yourself. Stay in the present no matter what the situation is and bravely try different shots. That is one thing I have been trying the last two-three years... No matter what the conditions are, what the scores are. Just to be focused on what needs to be done at that point. Things will take care of itself when you are doing that a lot of times," he said when asked about his frequent deciders.
Prannoy will need all his focus for the next round, where he takes on Shi Yu Qi, the world No 2 and last week's Malaysia Open finalist. The Chinese star leads him 5-2 but is yet to play this new version of Prannoy, so it could be anyone's game.
The key, says Prannoy, will be physical recovery against a player who is in form. Shi is coming off a long week in Malaysia and has needed extra time to finish his matches in India, but finished his match much earlier as the Indians' schedule pushed the boundaries of acceptable.
"The schedule has been really long, we're standing at almost 9.30, that's very less time to go back and recover. I wish we had more time," he said. Saturday will likely be another long night for him.
Physical battles have never stopped the Indian and if he can be mentally in the present through the match, he has a good chance of reaching his first India Open final.
Satwik-Chirag master the mind games
Satwik and Chirag, on the other hand, took the schedule into their own hands by finishing off the last match of the day in quick time. "It was cold," Chirag joked when asked what the hurry was about.
Cold was also the revenge served by the Indian second seeds, staying true to their word and avenging their loss at the World Championships in emphatic fashion. Satwik and Chirag were refreshingly honest about their hunger and didn't hide just how badly they wanted to beat Astrup and Rasmussen prior to their match.
They were the same afterwards too: "They gave us sleepless nights a few times before... The World Championship was a very bad day for me. I couldn't sleep, I was very low for the first time," Satwik said. "Last night also I couldn't sleep, I eagerly wanted to play, put my A-game up and see what they would do. I didn't want to get into their tricks and rhythm, I badly wanted to beat them."
The highlight was how they beat the Danes at their mental games, with quick turn of points, refusal to rush or play at their speed, even delay the serves. Satwik had earlier told ESPN about how improving their mind games was a key to their prolific 2023. They have already stepped it up in 2024.
"They usually just come and serve even before you are ready sometimes. We usually don't play such mind tricks, so we decided we need to be ready and only then receive," he explained.
Up next, they have another old foe in Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooh Yik. The pair led them 8-0 before Satwik and Chirag turned that around by beating them for two of their biggest career wins in 2023
. This mastery of the mind games adds a solid edge to their power-packed game and sets the tone for what promises to be an exciting semifinal Saturday for the Indian badminton fan.