Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy had a unique opportunity, going into the final day of the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold tournament. Partnering each other, the two had reached the final of the women's doubles event in Lucknow. They were also going to face each other in the mixed doubles event - Ponnappa partnering B Sumeeth Reddy, while Sikki pairing up with Pranaav Jerry Chopra.
Only 11 players have achieved the 'doubles' double at a Grand Prix Gold event (the third highest rung of the international badminton calendar, below Super Series Premiere and Super Series events respectively).
Eventually though, Sikki and Ponnappa would fall short.
In the first match of the finals day, they lost 21-16, 21-18 against world no. 2 and Olympic silver medalists Kristina Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl of Denmark. Later, Sikki, alongside Pranaav, would beat Ponnappa and Sumeeth 22-20, 21-10 to claim the mixed doubles title.
Despite falling short against the Danish pair, the unseeded Indian duo's achievement is still noteworthy. Their appearance in the final was only the first time an Indian women's doubles team had reached that stage since 2010 India Open GP Gold.
Despite losing in straight games, the Indian pair had plenty of opportunities. They led 11-5 at the break, and then 16-11 in the second game before succumbing.
It's particularly impressive for a partnership that's currently only four tournaments old. The pairing had only occurred after Ponnappa split with her previous partner Jwala Gutta. That partnership was the most successful in Indian women's doubles, having won a Commonwealth Games gold and World Championship bronze.
While it's still in its early days, it's clear the partnership between Ponnappa, 27, and Sikki, 23, has potential.
The Syed Modi tournament showcased a new facet of Ponnappa's game. In the past, she was predominantly a back court player, while Jwala stayed closer to the net. In the new pairing, while Sikki -- like fellow left-hander Jwala -- does stay close to the net, the duo often rotate positions. An Ashwini smash from the back of the court might be followed with a tap over the net -- a play that has often left their opponents confused.
"If I was just at the back, the pace would get monotonous. The pace at which I smash and then how Sikki hits is different," says Ponnappa. It also means that an opponent's shuttles would rarely find an open part of the court. "It's nice that I can rotate and move to the net. I'm not always having to run back which was the case earlier," she says.
Sikki too feels she has benefited, having gained a lot more confidence. "Partnering with Ashwini, I find that I am believing in myself a lot more. With my previous partner (Pradnya Gadre), we had come close to beating players in the top 15. But just as we were getting to that, Pradnya got injured. Against the world number 2 pair, I felt really confident. We could have won the second game. I could see how close we were," she says.
"There were a few moments with a lack of coordination but that was mostly because we still are very new together. If we play together for another month, we will get better," she adds.
A month would be enough time for March's All England Championships. While India will field a team for the Asian Mixed Team Championships in Vietnam in February, it's uncertain whether the two will participate. The All England, though, will be the first Super Series tournament for the duo. Owing to their late start, the two have relatively less ranking points, and will have to participate in the qualifying draw.
But while their doubles pairing has shown promise, their success in the mixed doubles event has complicated matters.
Playing only her second tournament with B Sumeeth Reddy, Ponnappa beat world no. 4 pair of Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christina Pedersen. Sikki and Pranaav's title in Lucknow was only the first GP Gold title by an Indian pair since Jwala Gutta and V Diju won the Indian Open GP gold in 2010. Ranked 16th in the world, the two are also the pre-eminent doubles pairing in the country.
The two will now have to manage the rigours of playing two events simultaneously. Ponnappa is hedging her bets on whether her body can cope. "I'm 27 now. So I cant train the way I did a few years ago. I have to be a lot more carefull," she says.
While the 2018 Commonwealth Games seem like an obvious target, for the moment, the two are taking things a month at a time. "We need to keep playing. Anything we win will be a bonus," says Sikki.
Even as the tournament is more than a year away, Ponnappa is keeping her fingers crossed. "The two of us need to be sure this is what we both want. We both need to have the same ambitions. I'm hoping we do really well but if we don't that's not the end of the world. It's ok to try new partners. But Sikki and I need to give it a good shot and see how it works out," she says.