India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, faced a narrow defeat in the Hong Kong Open Super 500 badminton final held on Sunday. China's Olympic silver medalists, Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, secured a thrilling victory after a 61-minute showdown, taking the title with scores of 21-19, 14-21, 17-21.
Ranked number 9 globally, the Indian duo had come off a consecutive bronze win at the World Championships last month. After clinching the Thailand Open, this was their first final in 16 months. Unfortunately, the loss broke their perfect Super 500 final record as they had won all their previous four finals.The pair made a roaring start in the first game, yet struggled to sustain their momentum. Chirag's powerful smashes turned an early 0-2 deficit into a modest 11-10 lead for India. Post-break, Satwik and Chirag continued their aggressive play, extending the lead to 13-11 through Satwik's body-oriented shots and Chirag's crisp serves, giving them a four-point advantage.
Source: aajtak
The Chinese teammates capitalized on Indian errors at the net, staging a comeback to lead 18-17. A forceful Satwik smash tied the scores at 19-19, and Chirag's precise line serve clinched the first game for India.
The second game saw China assert themselves. Wang demonstrated formidable back-court play, rapidly amassing an 8-2 lead. Briefly, the Indians closed the gap, but by the break, the Chinese pair held a commanding 11-6 lead. Liang and Wang used ferocious smashes to extend their lead to 13-7, though Satwik-Chirag nearly equalized at 12-14. China then won seven out of the next nine points, leveling the match at 1-1.
In the decisive third game, the Chinese duo gained dominance early, creating a 5-0 lead. Despite persistent rallies from the Indian side, China surged ahead to 8-1, and by the break, the advantage widened to 11-2. In a last-ditch effort, Satwik-Chirag saved three match points, narrowing the margin to 17-20. However, a mistimed return sealed the game, match, and title in favor of China.
