Left-right combination pairs present tricky challenge for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty
Some opponents irritate more than intimidate. Brushing off their annoyance can be altogether more satisfying and carries fewer frills of drama than overcoming an almighty fear. A cluck and half a grin, suffice; even scoffing is too much. No need to pen ballads to bravery here. A 21-7, 21-10 terse dismissal in 35 minutes on a fabulous Friday at Delhi got the job done.And so it was that the men’s doubles quarterfinals at India Open were wrapped up in a hurried haiku, without resorting to an overwrought Odyssey a week back. Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen are somewhat a bogey team for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty for a long time. It wasn’t that the Indians had never beaten the Danes, they famously did at the Thomas Cup. But half dozen losses lingered.
The grudge-invent...