Satwik admits pressure got to him and Chirag in shock Asian Games exit
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy said the relentless pressure applied by Thailand’s Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Peeratchai Sukphun got to him and Chirag Shetty as the world No.5 pair suffered a shock first-round exit from the Asian Games on Friday.
The Indians, who were part of the men’s team that won a bronze medal after losing 1-3 to China in the semi-finals on Wednesday, started strongly but could not sustain their momentum. After winning the opening game 21-12, Satwik and Chirag were stunned 12-21, 21-19, 21-14 in a one-hour-eight-minute contest.
“Kudos to them. They kept pressuring us. They kept poking us. I think we couldn’t handle it in the crucial parts. I think in the (middle of the) second game, we could have had a different scenario. They played a little bit more free than us,” Satwik said.
“Throughout the three games, they played the same rhythm, but I think it’s us who gave them the chance to come into the game and give confidence to them. We were high, we were low, we were high, low. I think that was the difference.”
Satwik admitted that the demanding schedule, which saw the pair play in the men’s team event before returning to defend their doubles crown, made the challenge even trickier.
“It will get tense because it will be tricky playing continuously in the team event. We are here last night till 12 o’clock, and right away we are playing one of the good matches. So it’s not going to be easy, but we prepared,” he said.
MENTAL BATTLE PROVES DECISIVE
The Indian pair struggled to find their rhythm after a dominant opening game, with Satwik acknowledging that their mental approach remains an area they need to work on.
“It’s the mental part. Whenever we are mentally free, I think no one can beat us. But when we are stuck anywhere, we give opponents a chance to beat us,” he said.
Satwik also insisted that the pressure was not specifically because they were the defending champions, pointing instead to the importance of preparing mentally for major tournaments.
“There was no pressure for us. It’s every day, the same matches, same players. But it’s how you mentally prepare for the tournament,” he said.
CHIRAG RUES MISSED CHANCES
Chirag felt the pair could have adapted better after Thailand fought their way back into the contest and admitted they needed to be calmer and smarter.
“We were not up to the mark. Started off well, but second and third game we did not play the right game, and they caught us,” he said.
“We knew that they would play a lot of crosses and everything. We could have stepped it up a bit and played a little calmer. Credit to them; they didn’t let us come close after that. But yeah, we could have been a little smarter.”
The defeat ended Satwik and Chirag’s Asian Games title defence at the first hurdle, leaving the pair to regroup and address the mental and tactical shortcomings exposed by the Thai duo.
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