India's star men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have guaranteed themselves a medal at the BWF World Championships after storming into the semifinals with a stunning victory over their nemesis, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia. In a dominant performance late on Friday night in Paris, the Indian duo avenged their heartbreaking Paris Olympics quarterfinal loss to the same pair with a brilliant 21-12, 21-19 win.
From the very beginning, Satwik and Chirag were in complete control. They started the match with incredible intensity, engaging in long, flat rallies and using a combination of Satwik's booming serves and Chirag's sharp net play to race to an 11-6 lead at the first-game interval. They never relinquished their advantage, closing out the opening game comfortably 21-12.
The Indians continued their aggressive play in the second game, building what seemed like an unassailable 17-11 lead. However, the former world champion Malaysian pair mounted a spirited fightback, winning eight of the next ten points with some incredible defensive play to level the score at a tense 19-19. But Satwik and Chirag held their nerve in the crucial final moments, taking the next two points to seal the match and erupt in celebration.
This victory marks Satwik and Chirag's second medal at the World Championships, following their historic bronze in 2022. More significantly, their entry into the semifinals ensures that India's proud streak of winning at least one medal at every BWF World Championships since 2011 remains intact, a remarkable record of consistency for the nation.
The Asian Games champions will now look to upgrade the colour of their medal when they take on the 11th-seeded Chinese pair of Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi in the semifinals later today. With their nemesis vanquished and a medal already secured, the Indian duo will be full of confidence as they continue their hunt for a historic gold.