India's star shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty put on a show to clinch a hard-fought victory in their opening Group B match at the BWF World Tour Finals. The Indian duo shocked the Olympic silver medallists Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China. As the sole Indian representatives at this prestigious season-ending tournament, the World No. 3 pair staged a remarkable comeback after losing a game to turn the match around after a difficult start.
Satwiksairaj-Chirag emerge victorious in BWF World Tour Finals opener
The match reached a fever pitch in the second game when the Indians managed to save a match point, narrowly taking the set 22-20. Having shifted the psychological advantage in their favor, they dominated the deciding game to close out the match with a final score of 12-21, 22-20, 21-14. This victory was particularly significant as the Indians entered the court with a 3-7 head-to-head deficit against the World No. 5 Chinese pair.
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Looking ahead, the reigning Asian Games champions face another high-stakes challenge on Thursday, December 18. After building momentum through their recent finals appearances at the Hong Kong Open and China Masters, they are set to take on the Indonesian duo of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri. Given their performance against Liang and Wang, the former World No. 1 pair appears to be in peak form as they navigate the rigorous round-robin stage of the competition.
How the match unfolded?
The match began as a tactical battle, with both pairs locked in a tight contest as they fought for control of the opening exchanges. Satwik and Chirag looked to impose themselves by utilizing sharp angles and maintaining a high tempo. However, the Chinese pair was well-prepared for the onslaught, and a series of early unforced errors from both sides kept the score level at 7-7 during the initial phase.
The first game was defined by short, explosive rallies, where both teams relied heavily on flat attacking drives and quick smashes rather than defensive lifts. China eventually broke the deadlock by reeling off four consecutive points to lead at the mid-game interval. Wang Chang’s exceptional reflexes and interceptions at the net began to frustrate the Indian pair, leading to a mounting error count that allowed the Chinese to extend their cushion to 14-9.
As the opener progressed, Liang and Wang’s ability to strike the shuttle at difficult angles proved decisive. They surged to a commanding 19-11 lead, punctuated by a thunderous smash from Liang. The local favorites quickly earned eight game points and needed only 13 minutes to secure the first set, which Wang sealed with a clinical cross-court smash.
However, the momentum shifted entirely in the deciding game as the Indian duo adopted an aggressive, all-out attacking strategy. Satwik and Chirag pushed ahead to 17-12 and quickly reached 19-13, eventually earning seven match points when Liang sent a return into the net. Although the Chinese pair managed to save one match point with a brilliant defensive return, they sent the following shot wide, handing the Indians a hard-earned and memorable win.