Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen to reach the China Masters semifinals.
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Satwik-Chirag celebrate their thrilling quarterfinal win at the China Masters 2026(Photo: BAI)
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty continued their strong run at the China Masters Super 750 as the Indian pair secured a place in the semifinals on Friday.
The fourth-seeded duo defeated Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen 21-13, 16-21, 21-18 in a closely fought quarterfinal at the Shenzhen ArenaThe Indians were tested after losing the second game, but they kept their composure in the decider to finish the match strongly.
Read more:
Kidambi Srikanth’s China Masters Super 750 run ends in quarterfinals after straight-game loss
Satwik and Chirag came out with confidence and quickly put pressure on their Danish opponentsIn the first game they built a healthy lead and controlled things until the end to win it 21-13.
However, Astrup and Rasmussen responded well in the second gameThe Danish pair made the rallies more competitive and forced the Indians into mistakes at important momentsThey eventually levelled the match by winning the second game 21-16.
That meant the quarterfinal had to be decided in a third game.
Indian pair holds nerve in decider
The final game was a tight battle, with both pairs refusing to give away easy pointsThe Danish duo managed to move ahead at one stage and looked capable of taking the match away from the Indian pair.
Satwik and Chirag, however, raised their level when it mattered mostThey stayed patient during the crucial rallies before producing a strong finish to win the decider 21-18.
The 70-minute victory once again highlighted the Indian pair’s ability to handle pressure in big matches.
Astrup/Rasmussen face up to No.4 seeds Rankireddy/Shetty .#BWFWorldTour #ChinaMasters2026 pic.twitter.com/7OE73tIZoZ
— BWF (@bwfmedia) September 4, 2026
Fourth straight China Masters semifinal
The win also extended Satwik and Chirag’s impressive record at the China MastersThey have now reached the semifinals of the tournament for the fourth consecutive edition.
The Indian duo finished runners-up in the previous two editions and will now have another chance to go one step further and fight for the title in Shenzhen.
This was also another important win for the pair against Astrup and RasmussenSatwik and Chirag had previously defeated the Danish combination at the China Masters in 2024.
Srikanth’s campaign ends
Earlier on Friday, Kidambi Srikanth’s campaign came to an end in the men’s singles quarterfinals.
The former world No1 was beaten by Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu 21-16, 21-16 in straight gamesSrikanth had produced an impressive run before the defeat, including a win over world No9 Victor Lai.
With Srikanth out, Satwik and Chirag remain India’s main challenge at the China MastersThe Indian pair will now look to continue their strong campaign and book a place in the final.
