The Indian men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, have advanced to the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open 2025 after a hard-fought victory against the Malaysian duo of Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap. The eighth-seeded Indian team overcame their opponents in a thrilling three-game match, with the scores being 21-14, 20-22, and 21-16. The contest lasted for over an hour.

Rankireddy and Shetty displayed aggressive net play, which proved crucial to their victory. While Satwiksairaj Rankireddy had a strong performance, Chirag Shetty faced some challenges with his serves and backcourt judgment. Despite these hiccups, the Indian duo managed to dominate the first and third games. In the second game, they nearly pulled off a comeback, leveling the score at 20-20 after trailing behind. However, a service error from Shetty allowed the Malaysian pair to regain momentum and win the game.

Their path to the semi-finals wasn't easy, as they had to fight their way through a tough match against Thailand's Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul in the previous round. The Thai pair initially surprised the Indians by winning the first game, but Rankireddy and Shetty regrouped and secured the subsequent games to win the match.

Satwik and Chirag's recent resurgence includes a bronze medal win at the BWF World Championships. At the World Championships, they defeated Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, securing a significant victory after being defeated by the same pair at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Their performance at the World Championships has boosted their confidence, which is evident in their strong showing at the Hong Kong Open.

In the semi-finals, Satwik and Chirag are set to face Chen Cheng Kuan and Lin Bing-Wei.

The Hong Kong Open 2025 is considered a testing ground for new pairs and strategies for the upcoming Olympic cycle, with many countries using the tournament to experiment.