Shenzhen (China), Nov 23 (PTI) India’s top men’s doubles player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy on Saturday revealed he had suffered from two injuries that delayed his return to competitive badminton after the Paris Olympics.
Satwik and Chirag Shetty reached the semifinals at the China Masters Super 750 tournament in an impressive run but fell short against Korea’s Jin Yong and Seo Seung Jae, losing 18-21, 21-14, 16-21 in a hard-fought contest.
"I got injured, and the injury was there even before the Olympics. I was dealing with two injuries -- one in my back and the other in my elbow, where I had a tear," Satwik said after the match.
"It took us some time. We thought we’d be ready for the next tournament and would send our entry, but about a week before, the injury would worsen again, so we had to withdraw. We couldn’t figure it out initially. Later, we sat down, addressed it, and now we’ve figured things out. I’m feeling good and really happy to be back on court."
Chirag echoed Satwik’s sentiments, saying they entered the tournament without high expectations but were pleased with their performance.
"I was training while Satwik was recovering. But I’m really happy with how we played. Although we couldn’t reach the final, we didn’t know what to expect from this tournament or how far we would go. So, overall, I’m really happy," Chirag said.
Returning to action after nearly three months, Satwik admitted it took them some time to adapt to the pace of competitive matches.
"We were a bit shocked when we started. The pace was suddenly high, and we couldn’t match it in the first set of our opening match. But from the second game onwards, we gradually adjusted. Day by day, we improved.
"Even today, I feel we played really well, but they were a little more extraordinary in the crucial moments, and we lacked a bit of patience. It’s been a while since we’ve played at this level."
The Indian pair had their chances in the semifinal, especially after recovering from the first-game loss and keeping the decider tight at 14-13. However, they fell short at critical junctures.
"We could have been a little smarter at the crucial stages. Honestly, we didn’t expect to come this far, especially given the limited practice we had before and after the injury. I was focused more on rehab and training than on-court practice.
"But overall, I’m really happy with the way we played and am looking forward to the next year," Satwik added.