Satwik-Chirag reach successive final, this time in China
The Indian eighth seeded pair will take on South Korean World No. 1 duo for their first title since May 2024
Despite being right at the top, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty hadn’t been able to make the final in 16 months since winning the Thailand Open in May 2024. Now, they have reached successive summit clashes in the span of a week.
The world No.7 combine came out with all guns blazing to oust men’s doubles second seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia 21-17, 21-14 in 41 minutes to reach the title clash of the $1.25m China Masters in Shenzhen on Saturday. It was a statement win by the eighth seeds who still have a lopsided 5-11 head-to-head record against the 2022 world champions.
The reigning Asian Games champions have been in top form of late. Rankireddy and Shetty became only the third Indian player or pair – after Saina Nehwal (2) and PV Sindhu (5) — to win multiple World Championships medals when they clinched a bronze last month in Paris. The former world No.1 combine had also clinched a bronze in 2022.
After reaching six semi-finals on the BWF World Tour, they finally made the title clash at the Hong Kong Open last Sunday when they lost the Super 500 final to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. Now, they have entered a successive summit clash, that too in a Super 750 event and will be gunning for their first title since winning in Bangkok in May 2024.
Known for their attacking game, the Indian pair were brilliant in defence too, dominating the front court thanks to Shetty’s quick reflexes. Though the world No.2 combine led 10-7, Rankireddy and Shetty were quickly able to turn things around as they forced Chia into errors at the net.
Rankireddy unleashed his booming smashes as the first game went on, earning a flurry of points to lead 19-14. The Indians converted on their second game point at the Shenzhen Arena.
Having gained the momentum, the Indians raced to an 8-2 lead in the second game with Shetty backing Rankireddy’s smashes with his deft touches at the net.
Chia and Yik found a spring in their step to go aggressive and win some points at the net but the Indians made sure they never gave up the lead. Rankireddy and Shetty coordinated brilliantly to counter every attacking move the Malaysians made, changing their stance from front and back to side by side.
Fortune favoured the brave as some net cord points also went in favour of the Indians with the former world No.1 combine leading 16-11. Feeling that victory was near, Rankireddy produced some thunderous smashes from the back to which Chia and Yik had no response. The deflated Malaysians made more errors at the end as Shetty applied the finishing touch to close out the contest.
Rankireddy and Shetty won’t have it easy on Sunday as they will take on world No.1, reigning world and All England champions Kim Won Ho and Seo Sung Jae on Sunday with the South Koreans winning the only contest between the two pairs in Malaysia last January.
