That Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty would play the final of a Super 1000 event sooner rather than later was inevitable.
The Indian men's doubles pair have consistently grown in stature, notching a number of firsts for Indian badminton in the last couple of years. It was only a matter of time before they challenged for the biggest titles.
But the way Satwik and Chirag stormed into the final of the Indonesia Open on Saturday was a reminder of just why they are such a highly-rated and exciting pair. Asian champions and world No 4 already.
At the Isatora, badminton's sentimental temple, the Indians showed both - the best of their game and just how much they have evolved as a pair to beat Kang MinHyuk - Seo SeungJae 17-21, 21-19, 21-18 in a thrilling, topsy-turvy battle.
The result - a first ever Super 1000 final and a chance to add another first to their impressive record book. Later, HS Prannoy's Indonesia Open campaign came to an end in the semifinals once again. He went down to world No 1 and two-time defending champion Viktor Axelsen 21-15, 21-15.
How Satwik-Chirag's semifinal unfolded
On paper, the fourth seeds fought back from a game down to beat a lower ranked pair in close, final two games.
But on court, the semifinal was a battle till the very end that had to be won with every ounce of grit and wit. Each game was a mini war, with the two halves being vastly different from one another. The Indians had to use every possible weapon available to them, while neutralising the ones sent back at them. Every time they edged ahead and got some momentum going, the Koreans came back.
In fact, both the games they won could well have gone the other way as they let slip the momentum after building up a huge lead. But they held on, tooth and nail.
Rankireddy/Shetty ���� and Kang/Seo ���� clash in a nail-biting encounter.#BWFWorldTour #IndonesiaOpen2023 pic.twitter.com/GopA27F8Cm
- BWF (@bwfmedia) June 17, 2023
"Finally we are in our first 1000 final and it feels very good... we kept our calm although they had a comeback in the third game, we stuck till the end and I am happy we didn't run away from our tactics, we stuck to it till the end," Chirag was quoted as saying by the BWF after the match. "You can't blindly attack, they have strong defence. We were mixing it up and once the shuttle was low we were not afraid to lift it as well."
The tactics - all-out, fast-paced attack backed by the aggression they possess in spades and court coverage - was almost a double-edged sword.
In the first game, the Koreans were quick off the blocks and incisive, capitalising on a good start and untimely errors from the Indians. Satwik-Chirag trailed 11-6 at the break and despite making a comeback, couldn't catch up. They were unable to employ the smashes that were so effective when they knocked out the top seeds and home favourites Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in commanding straight games on Friday.
Satwik admitted that they were not at their best to begin with. "Personally, I didn't recover completely... in the first game, I wasn't comfortable, my full body was tired. In the second I got some rhythm."
The second game was almost a reversal. The Indian duo amped up their attack and got the better start with Satwik, usually the calmer of the two, also being the aggressor as they stormed to a huge 11-4 lead. Then came the most important passage of play in hindsight. The Korean ramped up their aggression as well and won almost all points to reduce the lead to just two at 18-16. This was a big test of Satwik and Chirag's mentality and nerves. They needed the decider, they were the better pair for most part but their momentum had slipped. The raucous crowd, very noticeably, was on the side of their opponents.
Quick attacks saw them grab the next two to reach game points, but the Koreans saved the first 3 - the third a stunning, 27-shot rally so fiery it virtually forced Chirag to shank. But as champions do, they found the winner when needed and forced a decider, courtesy a ruthless Satwik kill in the front court.
The third game started with attack mode on - from both ends. The points were coming off small margins and the serve kept getting exchanged with neither allowing a lead to build. Till a door opened at 7-5 as Indians' determined defence forced errors and once again they went into the break with a huge 11-5 lead. And once again, the Koreans fought back to eventually level at 16-16.
The final segment of the match had it all: all-court sensational rallies studded with fast, flashy points, Seo playing two points while seated at the mid-court after the pace forced him to the floor, wild calls that saw the Indian lose all their challenges (another thing they didn't allow to fluster them), flat attack, lively crowd, even a lucky net cord for the Indians. In the end, it was the Asian champions that came through. After 66 minutes of non-stop action, in a semifinal that no pair deserved to lose.
Chirag jumped on Satwik, relief with a bit of swag in it - very fitting for this pair. "We play like this, we knew that they won't give up, if you're leading 20-10 also they will fight. The Korean style is like that we are mentally prepared to go for the point, don't think opponent will make a mistake. We should put pressure on them, not on ourselves," they said later.
They will face second seeds Aaron Chia and Wooi Yik Soh of Malaysia in the final - their bogey pair who Satwik-Chirag are yet to defeat in 8 meetings.
But if there is one thing to note from their sensational semifinal win, it's this - these two are not just in the world's Top 5 based on ranking, but also mentality. Satwik and Chirag lost early in their last two tournaments, including the Thailand Open where they were the top seeds. They are now in their first Super 1000 final after beating the top seeds and winning a marathon battle. Very little fazes them now.
Bring on the final!