Satwik-Chirag in action at BWF World Championships (Credits: BAI) New Delhi: Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang’s strategy against Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in the men’s doubles quarterfinals at the BWF World Championships was simple but effective: slow the game down when it got fast, and accelerate when the Indians tried to slow it down. It helped them beat the Indians 21-18, 21-9 in mere 36 minutes for the 10th time and reach the semifinals, denying India a third Worlds medal and silencing the home crowd. The game between Satwik and Chirag has always been about who command the first four shots which the Indians controlled for most part of the first game before the Chinese duo cluttered the Indians with their flat exchanges. Yet, in the opening game it was a neck-and-neck battle in the opening game. When the game got fast and the Indians enjoyed the lead, the Chinese slowed it down; and when they needed to amp it up, they made the exchanges faster. The Indians managed to separate themselves by the interval, winning three points in a row. Playing from the not-so-favourable side of Court 1 - where the drift’s impact is the strongest - they took the drift out of the equation with fast, flat exchanges, smashing to draw lifts from Liang and Wang. Even Satwik, whose overused shoulder had somewhat tamed the mighty power of his smash, came into his own - jumping for the colossal smash and then imposing himself at the net to send the light bullet into Wang. Yet, they failed to seal the game. Despite struggling, Liang and Wang found a solution to level things up at 15-15 by chasing the corners. Chirag misread a drop shot and conceded another point by getting the flight of the high drop wrong. Liang-Wang, playing catch-up, drew level at 18-18 before taking a three-point lead. Chirag’s back-to-back errors - one into the net and another wide - meant the Chinese took the opening game 21-18. “They like to play the faster game. They were quite good in the first four shots. Whoever controlled those first four shots, in the first game, was in control. We were controlling them in the first game, and they got confident after one or two points. So, if it’s a rally game, it’s anybody’s game,” Satwik said in response to a question from Sports Now. Towards the end of the game, the Chinese tactically slowed the pace, in contrast to the start, when the exchanges were intense and fast. The slower pace saw the Indians falter on their serves and at the net - their perennial problem areas against Liang and Wang - costing them momentum. In contrast, the Chinese used their spin serves to win crucial points. “It’s 50-50 because both have the attack. If the Chinese can attack, we can attack as well. But the difference was only the service and service return. They got that spin, so we got a little bit confident towards the end,” Satwik said, analysing the match. “We started spinning differently rather than the first one. So, for the first 15 points, we were spinning in a different way. Then later, he changed his service action. It took us one or two points to adjust to it. So, after 15, one or two points, it’s 17-15, 18-15. So, it’s just brave from that side. They committed, they played those strokes. And I think it’s always the first game with them, especially with them, it’s very important. The first game is really important,” he added. In the second game, Liang and Wang - chasing their second Worlds medal - continued to excel in the net game - buyant by their win from the brink. With the Indians struggling with their flicks, the Chinese pair took an 11-5 lead at the interval. The pattern remained the same: a slow game of slices and drops around the net. Errors crept into the Indians’ game. Satwik made two net errors as the Chinese managed to build a slender lead early on. "In the second game especially, it's not that we didn't get any lifts. We got a couple of lifts, quite a few lifts. But we weren't able to finish it as much as we would have wanted to. They were defending quite well. And also dominating the front court. And even when we were getting those lifts, we tried playing soft drops but then they eventually kill it," Chirag said. The slowly drifting game from the Chinese drew two more errors - Satwik’s shot went long from the backcourt before Chirag lost a net battle to Liang, handing the Chinese a five-point lead at 8-3. From there on, it was a one-way game, with the Chinese winning a 43-shot rally to extend their lead. The Indians tried to play catch-up, but the deficit remained. Liang and Wang eventually wrapped up the game 21-9 with ease to seal their spot in the semifinals and dashed India's men's doubles medal hopes. “After the second game, I think they got pretty much confident. They were everywhere. Wherever we were hitting, they were just playing their game. So, I think we were close to them, but we could have put a little bit more pressure from our side,” Satwik said, summarising their style. Sudipta Biswas i