Despite injuries and personal setbacks, Satwik and Chirag reach their first final since October 2023, set to face World No. 3 Chinese duo Liang and Wang
Hong Kong
India’s top men’s doubles badminton pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, entered their first final of the season at the Hong Kong Open Super 500 on Saturday. The World No. 9 duo defeated Chinese Taipei’s unseeded team, Bing-Wei Lin and Chen Cheng Kuan, in straight games 21-17, 21-15. This victory ended their streak of six semifinal losses in 2025, bringing relief and joy to the Indian camp.
Seeded eighth in the event, Satwik and Chirag will now face a tough test against World No. 3 Chinese pair Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who beat Taipei’s Fang-Chih Lee and Fang-Jen Lee 21-19, 21-8. The final marks their first since October 2023, when they won gold at the Asian Games.
The past year has been difficult for the pair. Satwik, 24, battled a recurring back injury, a painful elbow issue, and even chickenpox. He also suffered personal loss with his father’s passing earlier this year. Chirag, 28, dealt with a lower back injury, forcing them to miss several tournaments.
Despite setbacks, they managed to secure a bronze at the BWF World Championships. That medal placed them alongside legends Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu as the only Indians to claim multiple medals at the event. Their resilience has inspired fans and restored hope in Indian doubles badminton.
