Satwik and Chirag save match point to stun Olympic silver medallists at World Tour Finals

Indian badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty pulled off a stunning comeback victory against Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, Olympic silver medalists, in their opening match at the BWF World Tour Finals. The Indian duo, after dropping the first game, rallied to save a crucial match point in the second before taking control in the final game to secure the win.

The world number three pair, representing India at the season-ending tournament, overcame a slow start to defeat the world number five Chinese team with a score of 12-21, 22-20, 21-14 in their Group B opener on Wednesday, according to ANI.

Chirag Shetty acknowledged their initial struggles, stating, "We didn’t start off that well in the first game. They kept the pressure on us, not allowing us to get into the game. But from the second game, we aimed to start strong, be aggressive, and that's what we did."

Prior to this match, Satwik and Chirag had lost seven of their previous ten encounters with Liang and Wang, and the first game seemed to follow this pattern. The game was characterized by quick rallies, with both teams relying on attacking shots. After a 7-7 tie, the Chinese pair gained momentum, capitalizing on net play and forcing errors to win the first game in just 13 minutes.

The second game saw a shift as the Indian pair adjusted their strategy, varying the pace and using flatter lifts to disrupt their opponents. They fought back with long rallies and took the lead at the interval thanks to Satwik's increased aggression. Despite China's strong response and a match point opportunity at 19-18, Satwik and Chirag remained composed, saving the match point and capitalizing on errors from Liang. Chirag sealed the game with a powerful jump smash.

The final game remained close early on. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. the Indian team responded with powerful body smashes and sharp interceptions, gaining the upper hand. The Chinese team began to show signs of pressure, making service and net errors, while Satwik and Chirag grew more confident. From 13-10, the Indian pair took control, unleashing attacks to pull ahead. After another Chinese error, they earned seven match points and secured the victory when Liang and Wang's shot went wide.

The Asian Games champions, who were also runners-up at the Hong Kong Open and China Masters earlier this year, are set to face Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri on Thursday.