Satwik-Chirag Avenge Hong Kong Open Final Loss, Beat Liang-Wang At World Tour Finals

Star Indian men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on Wednesday put on a brave show to beat the World No. 5 pair of Liang Wei Kang and Wang Chang in a three-game thriller to start

their BWF World Tour Finals campaign on a high in Hangzhou.

Former world No. 1 duo Satwik and Chirag entered the match with a 3-7 head-to-head record against Liang and Wang and Wednesday’s clash lived up to expectations as a thrilling battle between two attacking pairs.

As anticipated, the match started tightly, with both pairs fighting for early dominance. Satwik and Chirag tried to use angles and a sharp, fast-paced approach, but the Chinese pair was ready and early mistakes from both sides kept the opening game locked at 7-all.

The first game featured short rallies, dominated by attacking drives and quick smashes, with lifts used sparingly. China then rattled off four successive points to seize control at the interval.

Wang’s sharp interceptions at the net started to trouble Satwik-Chirag, who also committed a few errors as the Chinese stretched the lead to 14-9.

China’s skill in directing the shuttle to awkward angles paid off as they surged to 19-11, with Liang finishing a rally with a powerful smash. The home favourites earned eight game points and closed out the opener in 13 minutes, Wang sealing it with a cross-court smash.

After the change of ends, Satwik and Chirag fell behind 2-4, with the latter struggling at the forecourt. At 3-6, the pairs contested a 31-shot rally, with Satwik-Chirag choosing flatter lifts and a more varied pace.

A few soft errors from the Chinese permitted Satwik and Chirag to draw level before a flat drive from the former helped them edge ahead.

An aggressive return from Satwik, followed by a brilliant serve that pushed Liang to the net, gave him and Chirag a four-point lead at the interval. They kept the momentum, advancing to 14-10 and showing their patience in a 45-shot rally to bag another point.

However, the Chinese staged a strong comeback. A flat push from Satwik had India leading 18-12, but mistakes crept in, permitting the Chinese to fight back to 18-all through a series of gripping rallies.

At 19-all, Satwik’s net play handed a match point to their opponents. However, a short serve brought it back to 20-all, with him and Chirag saving the point and then earning a game point after Liang hit the net.

A moment of confusion in the Chinese camp during a rally permitted Chirag to seal the second game with a jump smash.

The decider mirrored the earlier games, with the pairs neck-and-neck, splitting the first 14 points. Liang and Wang surged ahead to 9-7, but a powerful body smash from Satwik-Chirag brought them back on level terms.

Satwik and Chirag moved ahead at the interval after Wang hit one into the net. Signs of nerves appeared in the Chinese camp and another net error combined with a service fault allowed India to extend their lead to 13-10.

The Indians, in contrast, grew in confidence, with a sharp interception from Chirag taking them to 15-12.

The Indian pair launched a relentless attack to move from 17-12 to 19-13. They earned seven match points when Liang hit the net. The Chinese saved one with a brilliant return, but a wide shot in the following rally handed Satwik and Chirag a memorable win.

Satwik and Chirag, who reached the finals at the Hong Kong Open and China Masters earlier this year, face another tough challenge when they take on Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri on Thursday.

The Indonesians hold a 1-0 lead over Satwik-Chirag, having defeated them at the Australian Open quarterfinal in November.