Third time was indeed lucky for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty at the China Masters. After finishing runners-up in 2023 and 2025, the Indians finally got their hands on the Super 750 title, battling past China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 in a thrilling three-game final in Shenzhen.
Coming into the event after heartbreaking quarterfinal exit from the home World Championships, where they were outwitted by their long-term rivals Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China, the Indians knew they needed to be patient in a criss-crossing game that could scramble one’s mind under pressure. They had learnt that lesson the hard way at the Worlds.
At the China Masters, they played four three-game contests in a row, a show of their peak fitness, especially with Satwik returning from a long injury layoff at the Worlds. Hence, their run at the China Masters was a shot in the arm for their confidence.
However, unlike their spirited wins over the Popov brothers – Christo and Toma Junior in the Round of 16, Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen in the quarterfinals, and Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub Azriyn and Tan Wee Kiong in the semifinals – the Indians started the final on the back foot. In all three earlier rounds, they had won the first game, lost the second and then soared in the decider.
He and Ren, who reforged their partnership after separating in 2024, cruised to a 21-11 win in the opening game. In the second, Satwik and Chirag stung like bees, stomping around the court, scrambling the Chinese defence and forcing a decider with a 21-13 win.
In the third game, He and Ren started aggressively, leaving the Indians, the fourth seeds at the BWF World Tour event, playing catch-up for most of the game. But Satwik and Chirag finally edged ahead at 18-17 and quickly reached game point at 20-17, courtesy of a lucky net cord from Chirag.
Throughout the match, Satwik and Chirag looked seamless with their defensive blocks. They did not bother to bend to retrieve He’s low slice drops, instead keeping the Chinese pair on their toes with relentless returns. While the hop smash remained their biggest weapon, what was noticeable in their game was their intent to keep their opponents guessing with half-smashes and net shots.
In a big game like a final, it is imperative to play tactically rather than go for full-throttle attack from the word go. It is equally important to preserve energy for the long haul. Satwik and Chirag did precisely that. They did not mind being moved and dragged from baseline to net and allowed the game to flow before unleashing their trickery.
But playing the Chinese at home, in front of a packed crowd, it was never easy to stay focused. Satwik and Chirag, however, came with the experience of tackling such situations, having played together on the World Tour for more than a decade.
Eventually, a deceptive lift from Satwik left Ren puzzled, who let the shuttle to fall in the middle of the court. It brought an uncharacteristically tame end to an otherwise exciting match and sealed victory for the Indians in a 70-minute contest.
A pumped-up celebration followed from Chirag, who flung his shirt into the crowd. It was the title they had long craved in front of the Chinese crowd, having lost to Liang and Wang in a close three-game battle in 2023 and to the Koreans Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae in straight games in 2025.
It was their second title of the year, with both coming in Super 750 events. Their first was the Singapore Open.
With the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, now looming on the horizon, Satwik and Chirag appear to have hit their stride at just the right time. The gold they won in Hangzhou in 2023 is theirs to defend – and, if this China Masters triumph is anything to go by, the Indian duo is heading into Aichi-Nagoya with plenty of confidence and momentum.