Shenzhen, Sept 6: India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty scripted badminton history on Sunday, fighting back from a game down to defeat China’s He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu and clinch the men’s doubles title at the China Masters.
The fifth-ranked Indian pair overcame the former world No. 4 Chinese combination 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 in a gripping final that lasted one hour and 10 minutes, becoming the first Indian players to win the China Masters since the tournament’s inception in 2005.
The triumph was another significant milestone in the decorated career of the reigning Asian Games champions. It marked their 10th career BWF World Tour title, their second title of the 2026 season and their fourth BWF Super 750 crown.
Satwik and Chirag had previously won the French Open at the Super 750 level in 2022 and 2024 before adding the Singapore Open title earlier this year.
The victory was particularly significant at the China Masters, where the Indian duo had endured near misses in recent editions. They finished runners-up in Shenzhen in 2023 and 2025 and reached the semi-finals in 2024 before finally breaking through on Sunday.
The final, however, did not begin according to the Indian pair’s plans.
He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu came out aggressively and raced to a 5-0 lead in the opening game. Satwik and Chirag struggled to find their rhythm as the Chinese pair maintained control and comfortably pocketed the first game 21-11.
The Indians responded strongly in the second game. After conceding the opening points, they gradually settled into the contest and drew level at 6-6. A three-point burst then shifted the momentum in their favour, with Satwik and Chirag taking an 11-7 lead at the mid-game interval.
The Indian duo continued to extend its advantage after the break. Although the Chinese pair briefly threatened a comeback, Satwik and Chirag held their nerve and won the final four points of the game to take it 21-13 and force a decider.
The third game produced another dramatic turnaround.
Satwik and Chirag once again found themselves chasing the Chinese pair after falling 0-4 behind. They fought their way back to 7-7 but could not immediately move ahead, with He and Ren holding an 11-9 advantage at the interval.
The Chinese pair remained in front deep into the decider, and the Indians were still trailing 17-16 with the title within touching distance.
It was then that Satwik and Chirag produced their decisive burst.
The Indian pair reeled off five points in succession, overturning the deficit, moving from 16-17 to 21-17 and sealing one of the most memorable China Masters victories by an Indian pair.
The win also extended their perfect head-to-head record against He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu to 3-0. Their earlier victories over the Chinese duo had come at the China Masters in 2023 and the Malaysia Open in 2024.
Satwik and Chirag will now shift their focus to the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, which begin on September 19. The badminton competition will be held from September 20 to 29.
The Indian duo will head to Japan as the reigning Asian Games men’s doubles champions, with their latest China Masters triumph providing further momentum ahead of the continental showpiece.
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