India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, concluded their BWF World Championships campaign with a bronze medal after a hard-fought semifinal loss on Saturday. The duo went down to China's 11th seeds, Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi, in a thrilling 67-minute battle, falling short of becoming the first Indian men's doubles pair to reach a World Championships final
The semifinal match, played at the Adidas Arena, saw the former world No. 1 pair lose 19-21, 21-18, 12-21. This marks the second time the Indian duo has secured a medal at the Worlds, having previously won bronze in 2022. The loss to the Chinese pair was only the second meeting between the two teams, with Satwik-Chirag having previously defeated them in the 2024 Thailand Open final.
The match was a rollercoaster, with the Indians starting strong in the first game, taking an 11-5 lead. However, the Chinese pair mounted a comeback, leveling the score at 14-14 and ultimately clinching the game 21-19. The second game followed a similar pattern, with Satwik-Chirag leading early before the Chinese fought back. Despite a late surge from their opponents, the Indians held their nerve to win 21-18, forcing a decider.
The final game, however, proved to be a different story. Satwik-Chirag started disastrously, losing nine consecutive points to go down 0-9. The Chinese pair capitalized on the Indians' nerves and a flurry of unforced errors to build a commanding 11-3 lead at the interval. The momentum remained with Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi, who confidently closed out the game 21-12 to secure their place in the final.
Chen and Liu will now face South Korea's Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae in the championship match. While the Indians will be disappointed not to have reached the final, their second World Championships medal solidifies their position among the elite in men's doubles badminton, highlighting their consistent performance on the international stage.PV