Historic Run: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty’s Semifinal Breakthrough at the BWF World Tour Finals 2025
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty Rewrite History at BWF World Tour Finals 2025
India’s top men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, left an indelible mark at the BWF World Tour Finals 2025 in Hangzhou, China, by becoming the first Indian men’s doubles team to reach the semifinals of the prestigious season-ending tournament.
Competing against the world’s elite, the Indian duo delivered an impressive group stage performance — going unbeaten and topping Group B — before bowing out in a competitive semifinal match against China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang.
Unbeaten Group Stage: Commanding Results in Hangzhou
🔹 Opening Match vs Liang Wei Keng & Wang Chang
Rankireddy and Shetty started their campaign with a thrilling three-game comeback, defeating Olympic silver medallists Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang 12-21, 22-20, 21-14. After dropping the first game, the Indians showed resilience and tactical adjustment to secure this vital victory.
🔹 Second Match vs Fajar Alfian & Muhammad Shohibul Fikri
The pair continued their momentum by overcoming Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in another three-game battle. The Indians prevailed 21-11, 16-21, 21-11, demonstrating both offensive power and defensive adaptability.
🔹 Third Group B Match vs Aaron Chia & Soh Wooi Yik
In the final group fixture, Satwik and Chirag defeated Malaysia’s Olympic bronze medallists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik 17-21, 21-18, 21-15 — a landmark win that sealed their semifinal qualification and top spot in Group B.
These victories made them the only unbeaten men’s doubles pair in the group stage, highlighting a historic consistency at the year’s most elite men’s doubles event.
Historic Semifinal: A Tough Three-Game Battle
Reaching the semifinals was itself a breakthrough for Indian badminton, as no men’s doubles team had advanced this far at the BWF World Tour Finals before.
🏸 Semifinal Match Result
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty lost to Liang Wei Keng & Wang Chang (China) 21-10, 17-21, 13-21 in the semifinal round.
The Indians started strongly, dominating the first game with aggressive net play and sharp smashes, but the Chinese duo turned the tide in the second and third games with improved defence and controlled placement.
Despite the loss, the semifinal appearance marked a historic milestone for Indian men’s doubles badminton at the World Tour Finals.