Indian Doubles Team Falls Short in BWF World Tour Finals Semifinals

Indian Duo Exits BWF World Tour Finals

The Indian men's doubles team, consisting of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, faced elimination from the BWF World Tour Finals after a semifinal defeat against China's Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang on Saturday.

Despite winning the opening game, the Indian pair could not maintain their momentum, ultimately losing the match with scores of 21-10, 17-21, and 13-21 in a contest that lasted over an hour.

Previously, Satwik and Chirag had triumphed over their Chinese rivals in the group stage, but the latter turned the tables when it mattered most.

This loss prevented the Indian duo from becoming the first men's pair to reach the finals of this prestigious tournament, despite their unbeaten run in the group stage.

They made history by being the first Indian men's pair to reach the semifinals of this season-ending event.

The match began with both pairs evenly matched, splitting the first ten points, with the Indians focusing their attacks on Liang. The Indian team showcased patience and strategy, taking a 9-6 lead before Chirag's powerful smash extended their advantage at the break.

With Satwik stepping up, the Indians maintained control, scoring eight consecutive points to establish a significant lead. They clinched the first game as the Chinese team struggled with their shots.

In the second game, the Chinese took an early lead of 6-3, aided by some unforced errors from the Indians. A powerful smash from Chirag and a wide shot from the Chinese leveled the score at 7-7, but the Chinese regained a slight edge.

After the interval, Chirag capitalized on a weak return, leveling the score again at 11-11. However, a couple of errors allowed the Chinese to pull ahead, and they eventually forced a deciding game.

In the third game, Wang Chang and Liang started strong, quickly establishing a 6-1 lead. The Indian pair struggled to adapt, often lifting from difficult positions and failing to read the flick serves, which led to a significant deficit.

Trailing 2-10 at the break, the Indians attempted a comeback, narrowing the gap to 11-19 before a long lift from Satwik halted their progress. Although Liang made a couple of errors, Chirag's subsequent mistake ended their brief resurgence.