India’s top men’s doubles badminton pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the China Masters title on Saturday, September 6, 2026. They defeated China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 in a gripping final that lasted 1 hour and 10 minutes. This marks the Indian duo’s second BWF Super 750 title of the 2026 season.
Comeback From First Game Loss
Satwik and Chirag started poorly and trailed 0-5 in the opening game. The Chinese pair attacked from the mid-court repeatedly, forcing errors from the Indians. He and Ren won the first game 21-11 with ease. The Indian duo needed a big turnaround to stay in the match.
Strategic Shift Turns the Match
The Indians changed their approach completely in the second game. Chirag began intercepting the shuttle early at the net instead of letting the Chinese set the pace. This put pressure on He and Ren and forced them to cover more court area. The strategy paid off as Satwik and Chirag won the second game 21-13.
Thrilling Decider Goes Down to the Wire
The third game was a tight contest with neither pair willing to give in. The Chinese led 11-10 at the halfway mark. Satwik repeatedly lifted the shuttle to the Chinese pair’s backhand side, slowing down their attacks. At 17-17, the match swung in India’s favor when He smashed into the net. Chirag played a brilliant rally to bring the Indians within two points of victory. A net cord gave them three match points and they converted the first one.
Second Title of the Season
This is the Indian pair’s second BWF Super 750 title this year after winning the Singapore Open earlier. They also reached the Thailand Open Super 500 final this season. The duo was runner-up in the China Masters in 2023 and 2025 and reached the semifinals in 2024. This is their third China Masters final in the last four editions.
Strong Semifinal Performance
In the semifinals, the world number 5 Indian pair beat Malaysia’s Nur Mohd Aziran Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong 21-16, 18-21, 21-11 in 1 hour and 6 minutes. The win comes as a strong comeback after their disappointing bronze medal finish at the BWF World Championships at home two weeks ago.
