The echoes of a hard fought men’s team bronze had barely faded from the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium before India’s badminton contingent was dealt a crushing reality check on Friday.
On a day that was supposed to serve as a routine launchpad for the individual competitions at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the nation’s most formidable medal prospects suffered a monumental collapse. Defending champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the fourth seeds, were knocked out in the very first round, sending shockwaves through the tournament draw.
The world No.5 pair — the only Indian shuttlers ever to win a gold at Asian Games last time around in Hangzhou — were humbled by the spirited Thai pairing of Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Peeratchai Sukphun.
Ranked a modest No.36 in the world, the underdogs scripted the upset of the tournament thus far, battling back from a game down to win 12-21, 21-19, 21-14 in an hour and eight minutes.
For Satwik and Chirag, the defeat felt like a sudden plunge after the emotional high of wearing the men’s team bronze on the podium just a day prior.
Initially, everything seemed to be going perfectly to script. The Indians dominated the opening game, capturing it 21-12 by using their trademark steep smashes and rapid flat exchanges to suffocate the Thai pairing.
But Teeraratsakul and Sukphun adapted brilliantly. Refusing to be intimidated by the defending champions, they turned the match into a gritty defensive battle, extending the rallies and waiting for the Indians to force the issue.
The strategy worked, allowing the Thai duo to edge a tense second game 21-19 before running away with the decider as unforced errors crept into the Indian side of the net. Satwik and Chirag, visibly nervous, rushed into the points, not allowing them time to breathe as they kept making uncharacteristic error after error.
It was a massive breakthrough for the Thai pair, marking their first victory over the formidable Indian combine in three outings and completely derailing India’s best hope for a badminton gold.
With the heavyweights out, the evening could have easily unravelled into a poor outing. Instead, a silver lining emerged from mixed doubles compeition, courtesy of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto who delivered an exceptional performance.
They opened their campaign with a ruthless dismantling of the Maldivian pair of Ahmed Nibal and Aminath Abdul Razzaq, wrapping up the match 21-8, 21-7 in just 21 minutes. But the real headline was what they accomplished next in the Round of 16.
Facing the fancied Malaysian world No.10 pair of Lai Shevon Jemie and Goh Soon Huat for the very first time, Dhruv and Tanisha played with fearless aggression. In an encounter defined by razor-thin margins, the Indians held their nerve during crucial late-game rallies to close out a stunning 22-20, 24-22 upset, booking their spot in the quarter-finals.
The road ahead, however, is a steep vertical climb. Next up for Dhruv and Tanisha are the undisputed world No.1 pair of Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China. The Chinese boast a 2-0 head-to-head record against the Indians, setting the stage for what will undoubtedly be a big clash for the Indians.
Meanwhile, in the women’s singles draw young prodigy Unnati Hooda, world No. 24, enjoyed an easy start. Navigating her Round of 64 clash with precision, Unnati easily dispatched North Korea’s Song Yu Mi 21-9, 21-10 in half an hour. The victory sets up a Round of 32 clash against Malaysia’s world No. 38 Wong Ling Ching.