India’s top men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty produced a remarkable comeback to defeat Olympic silver medallists Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in their opening Group B match at the BWF World Tour Finals on Wednesday. The world No. 3 Indian duo, the only representatives from the country at the season-ending event, overturned an early setback and even saved a match point to register a hard-fought 12-21, 22-20, 21-14 victory over the world No. 5 Chinese combination. Reflecting on the match, Chirag admitted the slow start. “In the first game we didn’t start off that well. Credit to them actually, they kept putting a lot of pressure on us and didn’t really let us get into the game. But I think in the second game onwards we knew we wanted to start on a good note, be as aggressive as possible and that’s what we did,” he said. Satwik and Chirag entered the contest trailing 3-7 in head-to-head meetings against Liang and Wang, and the opening game followed that script. Short, fast rallies dominated, with both pairs relying on attacking drives and sharp smashes. After being level at 7-7, the Chinese pair took control with a burst of points, capitalising on net interceptions and forcing errors to seal the first game comfortably in just 13 minutes. The second game saw a noticeable shift in momentum. Despite falling behind early again, the Indians began varying pace more effectively and used flatter lifts to disrupt their opponents. A series of long, gruelling rallies helped them claw back, and they edged ahead at the interval with improved aggression from Satwik. China fought back strongly and even earned a match point at 19-18, but Satwik and Chirag held their nerve. They saved the match point, forced errors from Liang, and capitalised on a moment of confusion to clinch the game, Chirag finishing it off with a decisive jump smash. The decider was tightly contested in the early stages, with neither side able to pull away. Liang and Wang briefly held the advantage, but the Indians responded with fierce body smashes and sharper interceptions. Signs of pressure began to show in the Chinese camp as service and net errors crept in, while Satwik and Chirag grew in confidence. From 13-10 onwards, the Indian pair took firm control, unleashing sustained attacks to move clear. They earned seven match points after another Chinese error, and although one was saved, the contest ended when Liang and Wang went wide, sealing a memorable comeback win for the Indians. The Asian Games champions, who have finished runners-up at the Hong Kong Open and China Masters earlier this year, now face another tough challenge against Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri on Thursday as they look to build on an impressive start to their campaign.
