Shenzhen (China): The Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to their second consecutive final with a decisive straight-game victory over former world champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia at the China Masters Super 750 badminton tournament on Saturday. Following a bronze medal at the World Championships and a runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open last week, the Asian Games champions outplayed their long-time rivals Aaron and Soh with scores of 21-17 and 21-14 in a commanding performance.
Despite entering the match with a 4-11 head-to-head record against the Malaysian duo, who are two-time Olympic medalists, the Indians had recently defeated them during their journey to the bronze medal at the World Championships in Paris. On Saturday, Satwik and Chirag adopted an aggressive approach complemented by solid defense, successfully dominating the front court while their opponents, particularly Aaron, struggled throughout the 41-minute semifinal. The first game was closely contested, with both teams exchanging points fiercely. Aaron and Soh initially took a 10-7 lead with four consecutive points, but three mistakes from Aaron, including a service fault, enabled Satwik and Chirag to come back. The Malaysians maintained a slim one-point lead at the interval.
At 14-13, Aaron made another error at the net, allowing the Indians to seize the momentum. A series of powerful smashes from Satwik and further mistakes from their opponents propelled the Indians to an 18-14 lead. A precise return from Satwik provided them with four game points, and they secured the first game on their second attempt. In the second game, Satwik and Chirag quickly established a 5-2 lead after the break, with Chirag finishing the match with a deep return followed by a decisive smash.