India’s star men’s doubles duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, continued their winning momentum at the China Masters 2025, a BWF World Tour Super 750 event, by defeating Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap in straight games.
The match lasted 42 minutes, with the Indian pair clinching victory 24-22, 21-13 to secure a spot in the round of 16.
The win marks their second consecutive triumph over the Malaysian pair, whom they had also beaten in the Hong Kong Open quarterfinals last week. Satwik and Chirag will next face Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi-Lin of Chinese Taipei.
However, it was disappointment in the men’s singles category as Lakshya Sen, runner-up at the Hong Kong Open, was ousted in the first round by French shuttler Toma Junior Popov. Sen lost 21-11, 21-10 in just 30 minutes, ending his campaign prematurely.
India’s mixed doubles team of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also bowed out, losing 21-19, 21-13 to China’s Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping. Later in the day, the women’s doubles pair of Rutaparna and Swetaparna Panda were scheduled to face Malaysia’s Ong Xin Yee and Carmen Ting.
The tournament continues to test India’s depth in badminton, with Satwik-Chirag remaining the country’s strongest contenders in the draw.
