Hong Kong Open 2025: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty Fall Short in Final, Lose to Chinese Pair Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang (Watch Video)
Liang and Wang opened with a few quick points, but the Indians responded swiftly. Chirag sparked the comeback with a powerful smash, followed by a delicate backcourt touch from Satwik. Chirag then unleashed a couple more smashes, helping the Indian pair edge ahead with a one-point lead at the mid-game interval.
Mumbai, September 14: Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy's quest for their first title of the year continues as the eighth-seed Indian duo lost to the sixth-seed Chinese pair of Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in the Hong Kong Open men's doubles final here on Sunday. The Indian pair suffered a 21-19, 14-21, 17-21 loss at the hands of Chinese combination in the summit clash. This was the first final of 2025 for Satwik and Chirag after the duo broke a streak of six semifinal defeats with a 21-17 21-15 win over Chen Cheng Kuan and Lin Bing in the semifinal on Saturday. Hong Kong Open 2025: India’s Lakshya Sen Storms Into Final for First Time Since 2024 After Win Over Chou Tien-Chen (Watch Video).
Liang and Wang opened with a few quick points, but the Indians responded swiftly. Chirag sparked the comeback with a powerful smash, followed by a delicate backcourt touch from Satwik. Chirag then unleashed a couple more smashes, helping the Indian pair edge ahead with a one-point lead at the mid-game interval.
Watch Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty vs Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang Hong Kong Open 2025 Final Match
High-octane badminton as Rankireddy/Shetty 🇮🇳 rival Liang/Wang 🇨🇳. #BWFWorldTour #HongKongOpen2025 pic.twitter.com/YzvISVnqiZ
— BWF (@bwfmedia) September 14, 2025
After resumption, Satwik-Chirag extended the lead to three points, 16-13, but soon enough the Chinese made it 16-17. After a few exchanges, a massive smash from Satwik levelled the scores at 19-19 and quickly wrapped up the opening game. After the break, Satwik and Chirag stretched their lead to 16-13, but the Chinese duo fought back to edge ahead at 17-16.
Following a few tight rallies, a thunderous smash from Satwik brought the scores level at 19-all, and the Indians closed out the opening game, 21-14. Satwik and Chirag got off to a poor start in the third game, trailing 0-4 in the early exchanges. The Chinese pair maintained their momentum, continuing to dominate the Indians, builidng a commanding 13-5 lead. Hong Kong Open 2025: Upbeat Satwiksairaj Rankireddy–Chirag Shetty Sail Into First Final of Season After Win Over Bing-Wei Lin and Chen Cheng Kuan.
The Indians managed to pick up a few points, but the Chinese duo kept the pressure on with their powerful strokes, extending their lead to 18-10. Satwik and Chirag then put together a spirited run of four consecutive points, narrowing the gap to just three. However, the late surge wasn’t enough, as the Chinese held their nerve to take the decider 21-17 and seal the victory.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 14, 2025 03:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
