India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, faced another heartbreaking exit on Saturday, falling in the semifinals of the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou. The Olympic silver medallists from China, Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, staged a remarkable comeback to win the match with a scoreline of 21-10, 17-21, 13-21.
A Strong Start Fades Away
The Indian duo, known for their aggressive play, began the match in dominant fashion. They showcased a brilliant burst of eight points out of nine to lead 11-6 at the mid-game interval of the first game. Continuing their momentum, they strung together nine consecutive points from 12-10 to comfortably seal the opening game 21-10. Their powerful smashes and tight net play seemed too much for the Chinese pair to handle initially.
The Chinese Fightback
The momentum shifted dramatically in the second game. The Chinese pair adapted their strategy, effectively moving the Indian shuttlers across the court and denying them the time to set up for their trademark powerful shots. The rallies became shorter, with the longest being a 22-shot exchange when the score was 18-16. The game remained tightly contested until 12-12. At a crucial 19-17 juncture, a poor service return from Satwik handed China the game point, which they converted thanks to a deft drop shot from Wang Chang.
The Decisive Third Game Collapse
Carrying the momentum from their second-game victory, Liang and Wang stormed to a 4-0 lead in the decider and extended it to a commanding 11-2 advantage at the break. The Indian pair, visibly struggling to find their rhythm, could never recover from such a massive deficit. The Chinese maintained their control and closed out the match, dashing Satwik and Chirag's hopes of reaching the final.
This loss marks a frustrating end to the year for the Indian stars. Despite a season of consistent performances, including reaching two finals and six semifinals on the World Tour, they finish 2023 without a title. The defeat in Hangzhou adds to their recent run of near misses at the business end of tournaments.
In the final, the Chinese pair will face top seeds Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea. The tournament also saw other results, with women's singles top seed An Se Young of South Korea defeating Japan's Akane Yamaguchi. She will face China's Wang Zhi Yi in the final. The men's singles final will be contested between China's Shi Yu Qi and France's Christo Popov.
