Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty Reach China Masters Final with Stellar Performance

Indian Duo Advances to Final

The Indian men's doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty showcased a brilliant tactical display to defeat Malaysia's Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong, securing their spot in the China Masters final for the third time on Saturday.

They are now just one match away from clinching their second title of the season.

Ranked fifth in the world, Satwik and Chirag, who were runners-up in the 2023 and 2025 tournaments, bounced back from a dip in the second game to win 21-15, 18-21, 21-11 against the 29th-ranked Malaysian pair in a match lasting 65 minutes.

Chirag expressed his relief, stating, "It has been a challenging three months for us. It feels great to be back in the finals after our break; it’s a special moment for us."

The Asian Games champions are set to face China's He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu in the final.

Satwik mentioned, "We will focus on recovery first and see how our bodies feel. We will give our all in the final match tomorrow."

The Indian pair entered the match with a 2-0 advantage in their previous encounters against Nur and Tan, having defeated them at the 2024 Thailand Open and the 2025 Malaysian Open.

Tan, a seasoned doubles player, previously won a silver medal at the Rio Olympics alongside Goh V Shem.

In their fourth consecutive semifinal, Satwik and Chirag, seeded fourth, initially fell behind 0-5 but quickly rallied with seven consecutive points, including an intense 34-shot rally, to take a 7-5 lead.

Three errors from Nur allowed the Indians to extend their lead to 10-6. Despite a few mistakes from Satwik and Chirag, they maintained an 11-9 lead at the interval.

After the break, Satwik's angled smashes continued to trouble the Malaysian duo, pushing the score to 15-12 and then 17-12 after another error from Tan.

At 18-15, the players engaged in a remarkable 54-shot rally, with the Malaysian player managing to keep the shuttle in play while on the floor before ultimately sending it long.

Nur then misfired another shot, giving the Indians five game points, which they converted on their second attempt to take the first game.

After switching sides, the Malaysians quickly took a 4-0 lead, but Satwik and Chirag responded effectively, leveling the score at 5-5 with a clever flick serve.

The two pairs exchanged powerful smashes and quick returns, with Tan struggling to find his rhythm while Nur remained inconsistent.

The Indians briefly led 10-8, but two errors from Satwik allowed the Malaysians to tie the score. Another mistake from Satwik at the net gave Malaysia an 11-10 lead at the interval.

A well-placed body smash aimed at Nur leveled the score at 13-13 after the break, but Tan's combination of a drop shot and a smash put Malaysia ahead 14-13.

The two teams battled fiercely, trading points until they reached 18-18, where the Malaysians managed to edge ahead and force a deciding game.

The Indians quickly shook off their second-game slip-up, establishing a 5-2 lead. Chirag was particularly effective at finding openings, leaving the Malaysians with little room to maneuver.

A moment of sportsmanship occurred when Chirag apologized and high-fived Tan after a shot that hit the frame of his racket, giving the Indians a 7-3 lead.

Satwik and Chirag continued to dominate, entering the interval with an 11-4 lead.

Satwik then unleashed a powerful smash at Nur, extending the lead to 13-6 as the Malaysians began to lose momentum and confidence. The Indians maintained control, with Chirag's shot landing on the backline giving them 11 match points.

Tan saved two match points, but Chirag sealed the victory on the third attempt with a flick serve.

Satwik and Chirag have faced three game matches, often dropping the second game.

"This has been our story this week. We start strong but tend to lose the second game around 15-all or 16-all... but we’re fine with it. This tournament has been good for us," Satwik remarked.

"Coming back from injury, we wanted to play crucial matches before the Asian Games to regain our confidence. Even when we are tied at 16 or 18, we want to push through, just like yesterday when we came back to win after being down.

"We missed that kind of practice back home. This tournament has been beneficial for us, and we look forward to one more final here. Shenzhen has been special, and we are excited for tomorrow."