The Indian men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, are set to compete in the final of the Hong Kong Open 2025. This marks their first final appearance of the 2025 season, after having faced five semi-final exits. The duo will face China's Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in the summit clash.
Satwik and Chirag secured their place in the final by defeating Chen Cheng Kuan and Lin Bing-Wei of Chinese Taipei in the semi-finals with a score of 21-17, 21-15. The match lasted 38 minutes and was a comfortable win for the Indian pair.
According to Chirag, this final appearance is special, as it is their first in over a year. Their last final was at the Thailand Open in May 2024. He expressed his happiness in breaking the semi-final jinx, as they had been consistently playing semi-finals since the China Open the previous year.
The match against Chen and Lin saw some impressive rallies, with the Indians displaying clever tactics and composure. In one instance, Chirag managed to pull off a remarkable save with two full-stretch forward dives, while Satwik followed up with a clever direction change to open up the court.
The final against Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang is expected to be a thrilling encounter. The two pairs have met nine times before, with the Chinese pair leading 6-3. However, Satwik and Chirag won their most recent clash at the World Championships in Paris. Both pairs are former world number ones. Liang and Wang are the sixth seeds and also won the silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Speaking about their strategy, Satwik mentioned that they adjust their game based on the opponent's strengths. If someone is dominating at the back court, they switch to a front and back formation. If both sides are balanced, they play side by side.
Chirag also reflected on their past experiences in Hong Kong, where they had previously struggled. He mentioned that they had lost in the first round several times before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they believed they could turn things around this time, and they have succeeded in reaching the final.
The final match is expected to begin at 4:10 PM Indian Standard Time.
