Star Indian shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty dished out another attacking masterclass to close in on their second BWF Super 750 title, after progressing to the men’s doubles final at the China Masters here on Saturday.
The former world No. 1 Indian pair, who had won their first BWF World Super 750 title at the French Open last year, notched up a 21-15, 22-20 win over the newly-formed Chinese duo of He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu in an explosive semi-final that lasted 50 minutes.
The match saw some exciting rallies as both pairs played at a frenetic pace but it was the top-seeded Indians who had more sting in their attack.
The world No.50 pair of He and Ren, who had a title-winning run last week at the Japan Masters, did show their prowess, especially in the second game. But Satwik and Chirag displayed great mental fortitude to close the issue in straight games.
Playing the Chinese pair for the first time, Satwik and Chirag produced an attacking game, their electric pace making life difficult for their opposition.
Chirag was unstoppable with his interceptions as he patrolled the front court and pounced on anything remotely weak, while Satwik added some loopy returns at the backline along with his thunderous smashes.
Satwik and Chirag have won the Badminton Asian Championships, Indonesia Super 1000, Korea Super 500, Swiss Super 300 and the Asian Games gold medal in a stellar year.
