Satwik-Chirag beat Malaysia pair to move to China Masters final

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty moved into the China Masters final for the third time in four editions. They defeated Malaysia’s Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong in a three-game semifinal in Shenzhen on Saturday.

Notably, the world No. 5 Indian men’s doubles combination recovered from a second-game loss to secure a 21-15, 18-21, 21-11 victory in one hour and five minutes. The result now gives the Indian pair another chance to win the China Masters, after finishing runners-up in both 2023 and 2025.

On the other hand, the Malaysians, who are ranked 29th in the world, began strongly in the opening game and established a 5-0 advantage. Satwik and Chirag responded with seven consecutive points and took an 11-9 lead into the interval. They retained control through the remainder of the game before closing it out 21-15.

The second game followed a tighter pattern. Ayub and Tan again moved four points clear at the start, but the Indians recovered and went ahead 10-8. Neither side was able to establish a decisive advantage as the score remained level at 18-18. The



Malaysian duo then claimed the next three points to take the match into a deciding game.

The response in the third game from the Indians was immediate. They opened with a commanding run and led 11-4 at the interval. Satwik and Chirag continued to dictate the match after the change of ends, eventually winning 21-11 to complete the comeback.

The victory now extends the pair’s record at the China Masters, where they also reached the semifinals in 2024. Their latest appearance in the final will be against either Malaysia’s Kai Wun Tee and Roy King Yap or China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s final will be the Indian duo’s third BWF World Tour title match of 2026. They were runners-up at the Thailand Open in May before winning the Singapore Open later that month.

Satwik and Chirag, the reigning Asian Games men’s doubles champions, will also be seeking their 10th career BWF World Tour title. Interestingly, no Indian player has yet won the China Masters since the tournament began in 2005, adding another milestone to their title bid.