India’s star badminton pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty entered the China Masters final after defeating Malaysia’s Nur Mohd Ayub Azriyn and Tan Wee Kiong in a hard-fought semifinal on Saturday.
The Indian duo secured a 21-16, 18-21, 21-11 victory in a match lasting one hour and six minutes. The win also extended their unbeaten record against the Malaysian pair to 3-0.
Satwik and Chirag recovered strongly after slow starts in the opening two games. After winning the first game, they faced a determined fightback from their opponents, who levelled the match by taking the second game.
However, the Indian pair raised their level in the deciding game. With powerful smashes and smart shot placement, they quickly established control and comfortably sealed the decider.
This marks the third time Satwik and Chirag have reached the China Masters final, although they are still chasing their maiden title at the prestigious tournament.
The Indian duo will now face either Malaysia’s Tee Kai Kun and Yap Roy King or China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu in the final.