China Masters win big boost to go all guns blazing at Asian Games: Satwik, Chirag

Satwiksiraj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty finally broke through their China Masters on Sunday and the Indian pair believe the hard-fought triumph has given them the confidence to “go all guns blazing” at the Asian Games later this month.

It proved third time lucky for the world No.1 pair as they battled back beat China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 and won the US$1.25 million China Masters Super 750 title.

It was Satwik and Chiraga’s second title of the 2026 season and their first at the China Masters after finishing runner-up last year and reaching the semi-finals in 2024.

“It’s always good to play here. We always played (well) when we came back from injury. In 2024 after the Olympics, we played here, we played the semi-finals. Then we played last year, we weren’t in good form. We played the finals,” Satwik said.

“This tournament has given us a lot of confidence. This week has been the same story. Apart from the first round, we have played three games in all the games.”

The Indians were dominant in the opening game, but turned the game around with a more controlled approach.

“In the first game, there was no lack of (aggression), but we didn’t play the right strokes. We played in a style that favored them,” Chirag said.

“In the second game, when we started, we wanted to be aggressive, but respectfully aggressive. And that’s what (the coach) was saying.”

Satwik said the pair stuck to their game plan under pressure, especially in the deciding game when they recovered from 16-16 to seal the title.

“We held our nerve a little bit today. We didn’t make simple mistakes at the end. That was a positive from today’s game. And we just stick to the game plan,” he said.

“We were more or less calm in the third game. Even Chirag was saying ‘we’re in control’. We didn’t really panic too much.”

The title comes at an ideal time for the pair, with the Asian Games starting in Japan on September 19. Satwik and Chirag will be looking to defend the gold medal they won last year.

“It’s really special. Obviously, going to the Asian Games and winning the title definitely gives a huge boost that what we’re working towards is in the right direction,” Chirag said.

“We’re going to come home, push ourselves to the limit, train for another 10 days and go all out at the Asian Games. We want to go out there and have some fun.”

Satwik, who won several points in the final with his quick serve, also praised the work he put into his serve, which he got while recovering from a recurring shoulder injury.

“I’ve been practicing serving more because I’ve been injured. When I’ve been injured as well, I’ve been serving a lot and catching it. So I think that’s helped me in the last two tournaments,” he said.

The Indian pair will now return home for a short training session before heading to Japan with renewed confidence and momentum.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

06 Sep 2026 19:49 IST