Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are through to the China Masters final after a hard-fought semifinal win over Malaysia’s Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong in Shenzhen on Saturday.

The Indian pair, ranked No. 5 in the world, came back strongly after losing the second game to beat the Malaysians 21-15, 18-21, 21-11. The match lasted one hour and five minutes.

Satwik and Chirag were in control for most of the deciding game and wrapped up the contest without much trouble.

ALSO READ: IND vs PAK: Harmanpreet Kaur Creates History During India’s Asia Cup Clash Against Pakistan

Indians Fight Back After Slow Start

The Malaysian pair made the better start in the opening game, taking a 5-0 lead.

Satwik and Chirag, however, quickly turned things around. They picked up seven points in a row and moved ahead. The Indians went into the interval with an 11-9 lead and continued to stay in front after the break.

With the score at 17-15, the Indian duo won four of the next five points to take the first game 21-15.

The Malaysians again started the second game strongly and went 4-0 ahead. Satwik and Chirag responded and soon moved in front at 10-8.

Neither pair managed to pull away after that. The lead kept changing hands until the score reached 18-18. Ayub and Tan then produced three straight points to take the match into a third game.

Satwik and Chirag Dominate the Decider

The Indians made sure they did not repeat their slow start in the decider.

They quickly established control and opened up an 11-4 advantage at the interval. After the change of ends, Satwik and Chirag continued to put pressure on their opponents.

The Malaysians had no answer as the Indian pair closed out the game 21-11 and secured their place in the final.

ALSO READ: IND vs PAK: Pakistan Choose To Bat First After Fatima Sana Wins Toss, Check Playing XIs

Third China Masters Final in Four Years

The victory means Satwik and Chirag have reached the China Masters final for the third time in the last four editions.

They finished second in 2023 and 2025, while they were knocked out in the semifinals in 2024.

The reigning Asian Games champions will now have another chance to win the China Masters for the first time.

An Indian player is yet to win the tournament since it was first held in 2005.

Satwik and Chirag will face either Malaysia’s Kai Wun Tee and Roy King Yap or China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu in the final.

Chasing Another Big Title

Sunday’s final will be Satwik and Chirag’s third BWF World Tour final of 2026.

The pair finished runners-up at the Thailand Open in May before winning the Singapore Open later that month.

They will now look to add another title to their collection and claim their 10th BWF World Tour crown.

Recommended For You


Also In News