In their first match of 2021 and returning to the venue of their biggest title till date in 2019, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty came from behind to defeat the South Korean pair of Kim Gi Jung and Lee Yong Dae 19-21, 21-16, 21-14.
The Indian pair was ranked higher (10 compared to 31) but it was not an easy fixture, with Lee Yong Dae one of the greatest to have played the game. The Indians were, understandably, delighted by the win over their idol.
“Lee Yong Dae was an idol for both of us when we started out, so it was excellent playing him today, and we are happy to get the win,” Satwiksairaj said according to PTI.
For Shetty, it was also a learning opportunity.
“Lee Yong Dae at the net is really good, one of the best. Although he’s not at his prime right now, he’s pretty lethal. Like at last year’s Malaysia Masters they won the title when nobody expected them to. You can’t write off such pairs,” Shetty told BWF.
The first game was a really close…
