In a spectacular display of attacking badminton, the Indian duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty secured a spot in the men’s doubles final at the China Masters. The former world No. 1 pair, aiming for their second BWF Super 750 title, defeated the newly-formed Chinese duo of He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu in a thrilling semi-final that lasted 50 minutes.
Dominating Performance in Semi-final
The top-seeded Indian pair showcased their prowess with a commanding 21-15, 22-20 victory over their Chinese opponents. This win sets them up for a clash with another Chinese pair, Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, in the summit clash.
After the match, Satwik expressed their confidence, saying, “We are feeling really good. The way we played throughout this week, felt like we have got back our rhythm. Like how we played at Asian Games here in China.” He also emphasized their hunger for another title, stating, “We love playing finals. There will be a lot of pressure, even opponents will be under pressure. We wanted to play the final here, and now we want to end it on a good note.”
The semi-final witnessed electrifying rallies, with both pairs playing at a frenetic pace. Satwik and Chirag, however, displayed superior attacking skills, breaking through the defense of their Chinese counterparts. Chirag’s unstoppable interceptions at the front court, coupled with Satwik’s powerful smashes, proved to be a winning combination.
Clinical Coordination and Tough Angles
The Indian duo took an early lead, moving from 6-2 to 10-4 swiftly. Their impeccable coordination and ability to create challenging angles for their opponents kept the pressure on. Despite a brief resurgence from the Chinese pair, Satwik and Chirag maintained control, securing the first game convincingly.
The second game saw both pairs engaged in fierce rallies, with the Chinese combination managing to take a lead at one stage. However, the Indians fought back, focusing on varying the pace and working on rally angles. The match reached a tense 19-19, but the Indian duo eventually clinched victory with a trademark smash from Satwik.
Satwik and Chirag have had an outstanding year, securing victories in prestigious events such as the Badminton Asian Championships, Indonesia Super 1000, Korea Super 500, Swiss Super 300, and the Asian Games, where they won a gold medal.
