Badminton: Satwik-Chirag claims top spot in latest men’s doubles BWF rankings

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty ascended to the top of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) men's doubles rankings on Tuesday after a remarkable victory at the Thailand Open Super 500 in Bangkok last week.

Before the tournament, Satwik and Chirag (96,670 points) were ranked third but managed to surpass China's Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who now trail by a mere 52 points with a total of 99,618. South Korea's Min Hyuk Kang and Seung Jae Seo hold the third position with 98,015 points.

Satwik and Chirag showcased impeccable form throughout the tournament, winning all their matches in straight games. Their dominant performance was highlighted in the final where they defeated China's Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi 21-15, 21-15 in just 46 minutes, securing their second Thailand Open men's doubles title.

Their dominance was evident as they averaged less than 35 minutes on the court per match. This victory also marked their second World Tour title of the year, following their French Open Super 750 triumph in March.

The Indian pair first rose to the pinnacle of the world rankings on October 10, 2023, after their groundbreaking gold medal win at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. However, their reign was short-lived as Liang and Wang reclaimed the top spot three weeks later.

The Chinese pair's runner-up finishes at the Malaysia Open Super 1000 and India Open Super 750 earlier this year briefly put them to the top, but their subsequent poor performances allowed Satwik and Chirag to regain their position.

Elsewhere in the rankings, Lakshya Sen dropped three places to 14th following his absence from the circuit since the Thomas Cup in April. H.S. Prannoy continues to hold the highest rank among Indian men's singles players at ninth.

In women's singles, P.V. Sindhu slipped to 15th but will be looking to bounce back at the Malaysia Masters this week. In women's doubles, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa rose to world No. 19 after reaching the semifinals of the Thailand Open, while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand are ranked 29th.

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