BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag go for the kill in do-or-die 2nd set against Chia-Soh, enter semifinals with perfect record in Group of Death

Satwik-Chirag needed to not lose the final pool match in straight sets, and pushing the decider understandably bubbled the emotions from the Indians, who know nothing comes easy to them against this angel-faced nemesis. They play Chinese Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in the semis, reiterating how not-easy winning is.

Satwik and Chirag posing at the World Tour Finals. (BWF / BadmintonPhoto)

The solution to the contortions and tangles they have gotten themselves into while playing Aaron-Soh, is surprisingly simplistic and reductive: revert to all-out attack, hammer and tongs, like their lives and legacy depend on it. Nobody can outmaneuver Chia, a talent so outrageous that even at 50%, and with suspected niggles, he can pulverize Satwik and Chirag’s minds with his phantom forays. An all-court genius, the stocky man caused plenty of ruckus from the back court on Friday in Hangzhou. He’s devilish from the front court, but equally disruptive from the back. Only, this time, Chirag held his nerve.

Satwik appeared off colour in the opening set, mostly rattled by the high-octane pace the Malaysians struck to the net exchanges from the outset. Aaron-Soh operated at elevated speed, as if with a trampoline for the floor, and crowded the Indians with early attack, which peaked as they went from.11-10 up to 15-10. “Tsup, tsup, zap, zap,” Satwik described the ambush onomatopoeically. “They came all guns blazing, they were everywhere,” he told BWF. “Tough to defend.”

But it’s when the Indians bought into the bloodbath, deciding that they held the bigger cannons, that violence was inevitable. “We said if we have to lift, we have to lift. Can’t battle with them in the front game where they are too strong. If we open up (the court), we have better chances. We are physically a little better. We both can attack and run full court,” Satwik explained. So with the first set gone at 17-21, and staring at a do-or-die, Satwik-Chirag chose to kill.

Aaron was exploding as he normally does when Malaysians took the lead at 15-13. But Chirag had had enough of finishing second-place, with a subdued front-court submission. He rolled his sleeves and had defended stupendously in a 47-shot rally to take the 11-9 lead with behind-the-back retrieves. He scampered and kept the shuttle in play to go to 14-15 and then the Indians synchronized their exploding with soaring smash attacks.

There is no sight better in Indian badminton than a Satwik-Chirag 1-2 smash attack, rising like a tidal wave, and they ensured the hits were relentless. Aaron-Soh defend better than most, but they stood no chance when the Indians got properly angry – that cold, blue, icy flame of soundless aggression. 15-all. The top-tier attack was followed by Chirag’s reflexive masterclass, and Satwik helped make it 19-16. Soh expectedly grew nervous and erred, but it was the Chirag clutch serve that was working its magic.

When asked if the pressure of the second set shook them, Satwik said, “The way we are playing, last two days, it’s bit of confidence. I told Shetty bhai it’s just a matter of one service. 15-all to 18-15. I was so confident in Chirag’s service that you can pull it off in the crucial time. Let’s keep it calm. Don’t hurry,” Satwik said, ever so cognizant of the vibe.

Chirag sealed the second with a smash and finally unclenched a fist. The third set was simply riding the wave, knowing the Malaysians were done for. “Obviously, both pairs wanted to win that game,” Chirag told BWF, “but luckily we played that well.” It was pluck really, and the Indians wanted this far more than any pair at Hangzhou.