India’s top men’s doubles pair, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, fell just short of clinching their first title of the year, losing in a hard-fought final of the Hong Kong Open 2025 to the Chinese duo of Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang on Sunday.
Seeded eighth in the tournament, the Indian pair went down to the sixth-seeded Chinese team in a thrilling three-game encounter: 21-19, 14-21, 17-21.
The final marked Satwik and Chirag’s first championship match of the year, after they had broken a string of six consecutive semifinal exits with an impressive straight-sets victory over Chen Cheng Kuan and Lin Bing on Saturday.
The match began on a competitive note, with Liang and Wang taking an early lead. However, the Indians responded swiftly, with Chirag firing powerful smashes and Satwik displaying finesse at the backcourt. The Indians went into the mid-game interval with a narrow one-point advantage and eventually claimed the opening game 21-19, courtesy of a composed finish.
In the second game, despite leading 16-13 at one point, the Indian duo lost momentum. The Chinese pair fought back aggressively, turning the tables to win the game 21-14 and level the match.
The decider saw Satwik and Chirag trailing early, as Liang and Wang raced to a 4-0 lead and later extended it to 13-5. The Indians tried to mount a comeback, closing the gap to 18-15 after a run of four consecutive points, but the Chinese held firm under pressure to close out the match at 21-17.
Despite the loss, the performance signals a return to form for the Indian pair, who remain strong contenders on the BWF World Tour circuit.
