Satwik-Chirag disclose how a 'wake-up call' before Indonesia Open got them back on track

Why you're reading this: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty scripted history as they won their maiden Indonesia Open Super 1000 title in the men's doubles category on Sunday. The Indian pair defeated reigning world champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia in straight games to win the tournament in Jakarta. Rankireddy and Shetty won the final by a margin of 21-17, 21-18. 

3 things you need to know

• This is the first-ever Super 1000 title for the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalists, who were seeded 7th
• Satwik-Chirag have now become the first Indian pair to win the men's doubles title in the Super 1000 event
• They have now accomplished victories at all levels of the BWF Tour, ranging from Super 300 to Super 1000

Also Read: Indonesia Open 2023: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty Win Historic Super 1000 Title

Satwik talks about the 'wake-up call' that got them back on track

After the final on Sunday, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy openly addressed the difficult period they had experienced over the past month. The 22-year-old said that the last two tournaments served as a wake-up call for him and his partner, Chirag Shetty. Rankireddy and Shetty suffered humiliating defeats at Thailand Open and Singapore Open before heading to the Indonesia Open. While they reached the Round of 16 in Nonthaburi, the Indian duo was knocked out of the Round of 32 in Singapore.

In his interaction with BWF, Rankireddy mentioned,

“Really happy performance after a bad month. We became lazy I’d say, a bit passive, thought it was all under control. But it was a wake-up call for us, the last two tournaments. Be alert otherwise, we would be beaten in the first round only. We practiced a lot in Singapore, the focus was high. The coach was there all the time, and the physios too worked day and night.”

Also Read: Satwik-Chirag Shatter Records With Historic Men's Doubles Title Win At Indonesia Open 2023

What's next for Satwik & Chirag?

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will next be seen locking horns in the Taipei Open Super 300 event from June 20 to 25th. After that, they will fly out to North America to take part in the Canada Open and the US Open respectively, considering they are fully fit to do so. The Korea Open Super 500 event will take place from July 18 to 23 and the Indian men's doubles pair would be expected to take part in the tournament as well. 

Image: Twitter/BAI_Media