Satwik-Chirag have reached the China Masters final after a thrilling semifinal win, moving one step closer to their first title at the event.
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Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty celebrate after reaching the China Masters final(Photo: X)
India’s star men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have reached the China Masters final for the third time in four yearsThe fourth-seeded Indians defeated Malaysia’s Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong 21-16, 18-21, 21-11 in a hard-fought semifinal at the Shenzhen Arena on Saturday.
The match lasted one hour and six minutes as Satwik and Chirag recovered from a second-game setback to seal their place in the title clashThe duo finished runners-up in 2023 and 2025 and will now look to finally lift the China Masters trophy.
Satwik-Chirag overcome slow start to take opening game
The Malaysian pair made a strong start and raced to a 5-0 lead in the opening gameSatwik and Chirag, however, quickly settled into their rhythm and responded with seven consecutive points to move 7-5 ahead.
The Indians controlled the rallies and kept their lead to close out the opener 21-16.
Malaysia fight back before Indians dominate decider
Azriyn and Tan refused to give up and produced a much stronger display in the second gameThe Malaysian pair kept the pressure on the Indians and levelled the contest by taking the game 21-18.
With the match headed for a decider, Satwik and Chirag stepped up and took charge right from the beginning.
The Indian duo built a commanding advantage in the third game and gave their opponents very few opportunities to fight backAlthough the Malaysians saved two match points, Satwik and Chirag eventually completed the victory 21-11.
Indians maintain perfect record against Malaysian pair
The semifinal was the third meeting between Satwik-Chirag and Azriyn-Tan, and the Indian pair now lead the head-to-head record 3-0.
Ranked World No5 and seeded fourth at the Super 750 tournament, Satwik and Chirag have once again shown their consistency at the China MastersTheir latest victory also keeps alive their hopes of ending their wait for a title at the event.
Third world tour final of 2026 awaits
Satwik and Chirag have enjoyed a strong 2026 seasonThey finished runners-up at the Thailand Open Super 500 in May before winning the Singapore Open Super 750 later that month.
The China Masters final will be their third BWF World Tour final of the yearA victory in Shenzhen would also give the pair their 10th career BWF World Tour title.
Satwik-Chirag await final opponents
In Sunday’s final, the Indian pair will face the winners of the other semifinal between Malaysia’s Tee Kai Wun-Yap Roy King and China’s He Ji Ting-Ren Xiang Yu.
Satwik and Chirag have repeatedly gone deep at the China Masters, and their latest run gives them another opportunity to turn their impressive record at the tournament into a title.
With the Asian Games also approaching, a strong finish in Shenzhen would provide the Indian duo with valuable momentum ahead of the major event.
