Badminton News: In the aftermath of the Diwali holiday, Indian pair Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy used the energy created by the home fans inside Stade Pierre de Coubertin to unleash their counter-attack against local darlings Christo and Toma Junior Popov.
As the voices of French fans chanting “Popovs” echoed around the arena throughout the 68-minute battle, the home pair sealed the opener with the score at 21-19.
“It was a great wake up call. We came in 100 per cent ready, we didn’t take it lightly, we knew it would be close,” Rankireddy said.
“The Popovs kept pushing and the crowd was absolutely amazing. We were shocked (by the sound), when we came out of it almost 20 minutes had passed. ”
Shocked straight away, the world number 8 duo claimed a 21-9 victory in game two before sealing their progress with a 21-13 win in game three.
Chirag Shetty said: “The moment we entered the stadium, the crowd was stunned. Even though they were cheering us on, it was amazing to play here. Obviously when we’re down we don’t like it. But once we calmed down, we got used to it and started enjoying it.”
“Of all the tournaments we have played in Europe, Roland-Garros is the best because the public is more active.”
On the one hand, Toma admitted that the audience really helped the brothers’ performances that day.
“The atmosphere makes a huge difference,” he said.
“I feel better and better and I play with more confidence. We just want to push our limits. We have to play more at home, it’s great.”
So what are Shetty and Rankireddy doing on Diwali?
“Sleeping in the bedroom,” Shetty laughed before continuing, “I just got in yesterday morning, so I didn’t have the energy to go out. I had planned to visit the Eiffel Tower and celebrate a festival in the city of lights, but I couldn’t. I could go there today and click on a picture or two.”
Rankireddy had a more memorable celebration.
“I enjoy good Indian food for dinner, my favorite biriyani,” he added.
Article tags: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, French Open 2022
Published by Ligaolahraga.com at https://www.ligaolahraga.com/badminton/french-open-2022-atmosfer-tuan-rumah-bangkitkan-semangat-satwikchirag
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