Hangzhou, China – In a thrilling start to their BWF World Tour Finals 2025 campaign, India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, overcame China's Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in a hard-fought three-game match. The world number three ranked Indian duo rallied from a game down to secure a 12-21, 22-20, 21-14 victory at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium on Wednesday.
The match, lasting just over an hour, saw the Asian Games champions battle back after losing the first game. Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, the Paris 2024 silver medalists, initially took control, establishing an 11-7 lead in the first game. The Chinese pair continued to dominate, limiting Satwik and Chirag to just five more points as they clinched the first game.
The Indian duo responded strongly in the second game, surging to an 11-7 lead at the mid-game interval. They appeared to be on track to comfortably win the second game after opening up an 18-12 lead, but Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang mounted a spirited comeback, scoring seven consecutive points to force a tie-break. Satwik and Chirag, however, held their nerve, saving a match point to win the second game 22-20 and force a decider.
In the decisive game, Satwik-Chirag held a slender 11-9 advantage at the interval before shifting gears and closing out the match in style, 21-14. This victory marks their fourth win in 11 encounters against Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang.
With this win, Satwik and Chirag have placed themselves in a good position to qualify for the semi-finals. At the Tour Finals, the top eight teams are divided into two groups, and the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals.
Looking ahead, Satwik and Chirag are set to face Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in their second Group B match on Thursday. The Indian duo lost their only previous match against the Indonesian pair. A victory in this match would virtually guarantee them a place in the semi-finals.
Chirag acknowledged the pressure they faced in the first game. He noted that they were unable to get into the game initially due to the pressure exerted by their opponents. However, they consciously decided to be more aggressive from the second game onward. Satwik added that they adjusted well to the changing shuttle speed between games, with Chirag delivering a crucial serve at the end of the second game.
The BWF World Tour Finals is the culmination of the badminton season, and this is Satwik and Chirag's second appearance at the event, after previously competing in 2021. The pair has had a consistent season, securing a bronze medal at the BWF World Championships and finishing as runners-up at the Hong Kong Open and China Masters. They have also reached the semi-finals of several other tournaments this year, including the Malaysia Open, India Open, Singapore Open, China Open, and Denmark Open.
Indian fans can catch the action live on JioHotstar.
