India Open Badminton 2024 Final Highlights: Satwik-Chirag lose men’s doubles final after 3 three hard-fought games

Korean doubles patterns, right from the times of Lee Yong Dae, are complex. They play around with pace, razor in the gaps and switch plans. It's an evolved style of play from decades and will need careful studying. Doesn't help that Seo is a southpaw, and when playing on the left covers the flanks

Chirag and Satwik wave to the fans as they get up after the heartbreak but they have plenty to be proud of, and perhaps even be glad that there are still areas to work on.

What a decider. Some sensational rallies in the end there as the Indians tried to force their way back. But wasn't to be in the end. Back-to-back runners up finish to start 2024. Seo/Kang superb. Fun match.

Satwik and Chirag have lost the final 15-21, 21-11, 21-18. The Korean world champions were stretched early on in the first game, but managed to come back and defeat the home favourites in a match lasting an hour and five minutes.

Back court retrieves cost you balance on the next shot. But Chirag did well there to take on the follow up after Satwik had to scramble to the back. But those back shuttles can prove cruel

Satwik has been sensational since the change of ends

The Korean pair is just two points away from the India Open men's doubles title. The Indians were just one point away from the Koreans at one stage after an almost-impossible return from Satwik. But then Chirag was put under pressure and he fluffed his return into the net. 

Satwik has really stepped up here, stoops low to return a serve and keep the rally alive, 11-14. Now Chirag steps up from the front court, 12-14. Momentum shifting EVER SO SLIGHTLY.

Incredible from SatChi. They were down by five points at 7-12 at one stage. They're now just one point away from the Koreans. 

The Indians are running out of the runway now if they're looking to take off! The Koreans have made the court bigger and have defended like their lives depended on it. 

Indians love the first-second-third shot blitz. Koreans love to prolong battles and go beyond the early exchanges. Being prepared for that could be one way to go about it, and Satwik showing he can wait to pounce. Though the Indian way is to rage through unbridled attacks.

The Indians are running the risk of losing in the final for a second straight week. last week, they had lost to the Chinese pairing of Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in three games after winning the first one 9-21. The Chinese World No 1s had come back with a bang to win the next two games 21-18, 21-17.

Today too, SatChi won the first game without too many hassles. But they've looked out of sorts so far.  

Kang and Seo were trailing 2-3 briefly, but they have managed to get a sequence of three straight points to take a 5-3 lead. They're not smashing the shuttle, just placing it really well around the court with sniper-like accuracy. 

"We need to be much more ready and show more energy (...) doesn't look like you are playing a final. Come on!"

It's Olympics year alright. But it's also Thomas Cup year! The men's doubles battles & counter-battles are only going to heat up as the summer fetches up

The Indians never really looked in the contest in the second game. The Koreans looked like they were pulling the strings all throughout, dictating the tempo and making Satwik and Chirag chase the shuttle around the court. 

At the half-time break, coach Boe can be overheard telling the duo to use their anger! 

Seo taking pace off the shuttle is an art in subtlety. Matched by Shetty playing the soft shot first, followed with a bang for 9-18. Thickening of plot underway. 

Will we see a fightback like Malaysia again? The Indians trail 5-11 at the break after a series of unforced errors.

The fightback from the Korean duo of Kang and Seo is on. They have wrested control of the second game after dropping the first one. they are up 13-5 in the second installment.

A dramatic turnaround. The Indians are suddenly flat in their attack while the Koreans are suddenly more sturdy in defence. 

Should be interesting to see how Indians respond to the Koreans looping more to the back court. The tall Indians intercept shuttles mid court mostly, but their momentum is invariably towards the net. Kang though is trying to pin them back

First pin-drop silence (or somewhat close to that) as the Koreans go up 5-1 to start Game 2. This is what Satwik & Chirag had said they want to cover, to not let levels drop in the second game. Somewhat familiar story unfolding at the moment, compared to their last two outings where they avoided making that mistake.

The Indians claim the opener 21-15 in just 17 minutes. Brilliant attacking badminton from them agianst a pair that is the reigning world champion. 

It's just Mathias Boe on the coaching chair for the Indians today, Gopichand is not present. The Dane is out on the court with his black-red  notebook that's become familiar for Indian fans.

Flip-side is at 9-10 when in a rush to strike the shuttle early, both go for the same bird. Not very costly here, but the adrenaline needs tempering. 

Nine minutes of frantic badminton there. And it's the Indians who come out of that holding a one-point advantage at 11-9.

At the mid-gam einterval, coach Mathias Boe is in the Indian pair's ears, chirping away with a massive notebook in his hands. 

Speed+steep = Let's call it 'Steed'

One really under-rated quality of Satwik-Chirag's attack, moreso Chirag's, given the boom of the smash is the speed on the steep power down strokes. It's one right headache for Koreans who are no mugs at low-defending frankly. But the pace at which the shuttle comes back awkwardly - kills.

Some incredible reflexive ducking and evading there from Chirag, who chases after a shuttle and then realises it's going far. He leaves it just in time. And soon after there is a fault from the Koreans that allows the Indians to take a two-point advantage as we approach the mid-game interval. 

It's absolutely neck-and-neck at the start. And every point the Indians win is cheered through the roof. The benches in the media tribune are feeling the vibrations. It's 6-6 so far.

It is absolutely deafening in the stadium as the Indians win their first point. Here's a sample of the atmosphere as the players walked in.

The Koreans are attacking the bodies of the Indian players with smashes. The Indians manage to scramble multiple hits to their bodies over the net, but finally the Korean pair wins the point that helps them put a foot ahead, 

The Koreans take the first point in the first game. But the Indians win the next point immediately. 

Seo-Kang will have a score to settle today. Satwik-Chirag saved six game points to stun world champions and enter Malaysian Open final last week. The Indians hold a 4-1 H2H advantage and have been in superb form. This should be good.

After three defeats in three finals for Chinese shuttlers, Shi Yu Qi bucks the trend to clinch the men's singles title. He has made a fine start to 2024, after reaching the final in Malaysia

A packed arena is now getting ready for Satwik-Chirag's final. A brilliant turnout today. 

As we wait for the Satwik-Chirag men's doubles final to begin, here's a look at how the rest of the finals today have panned out. 

MIXED DOUBLES FINAL: China's fifth seeded JIANG Zhen Bang and WEI Ya Xin lost 16-21 16-21 to Thailand's Dechapol PUAVARANUKROH and Sapsiree TAERATTANACHAI

WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL: TAI Tzu Ying [4th seed] defeated CHEN Yu Fei [2nd seed] 21-16, 21-12

WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL: ZHANG Shu Xian and ZHENG Yu [6th seeds]    lost to Mayu MATSUMOTO and Wakana NAGAHARA [8th seeds] 12-21, 13-21

MEN'S SINGLES FINAL: SHI Yu Qi [6th seed] defeated LEE Cheuk Yiu 23-21 21-17

Lee Cheuk Yiu and Shi Yu Qi are putting on quite the show in the men's singles final. A stunning run of points from 6-14 to 16-14 for Lee Cheuk Yiu but Shi Yu Qi stems the streak and goes up 19-16. Quite an incredible game. Now the Chinese has 3 match points. 

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the India Open badminton final, wher India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty will be in the men's doubles final soon.