After downing China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, Paris Olympics silver medallists, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty proved their mettle once again by outclassing the Indonesian pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, to move one step closer to qualifying for the semi-finals of the BWF World Tour Finals 2025. Facing two elite pairs back-to-back, the 2023 Asian Games champions have looked unstoppable, winning two straight matches.
The 2025 World Championship bronze medalists rallied past the Indonesians in a three-game thriller, winning 21-11, 16-21, 21-11 in 60 minutes. The Indians are now level at 1–1 in their head-to-head record against Fajar and Fikri.
The World No. 3 pair showcased their tactical maturity early, denying the Indonesians points on flat drives and forcing Fajar into defensive lifts. They raced to a 6-0 lead and extended it to 11-2 at the mid-game interval with stellar smashes and deft returns.
After the break, Fajar and Fikri showed some resistance, capitalising on Indian errors to close the gap to 10-15. However, Chirag’s backcourt smash broke their rhythm, and the Indians capitalised, scoring five consecutive points to reach game point. An unforced error from the Indonesians handed Satwik–Chirag the opening game 21-11.
The second game began as a neck-and-neck battle, but the Indonesians pulled ahead with better deception and swift returns to lead 9-4. Satwik–Chirag responded with four consecutive points, though Fajar–Fikri still held a 11-9 advantage at the interval. After the change of ends, the Indonesians excelled in long, tense rallies and maintained the momentum to clinch the game 21-16 and force a decider.
In the final game, the Indians returned to their fast-paced style, displaying relentless aggression and high-speed defence. They forced multiple unforced errors and surged to an 11-4 lead at the interval, never looking back. Maintaining control, Satwik–Chirag pushed Fajar–Fikri onto the back foot with deft returns and powerful smashes, extending the lead to 16-11 before closing out the match convincingly.
With a knockout spot at the BWF World Tour Finals nearly secured, the Indians will face long-time rivals Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in their final group-stage encounter on Friday, aiming to reach the semi-finals with an unblemished record.
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