Satwik-Chirag duo enters China Masters Super 750 final

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty dish out attacking masterclass to reach China Masters final. The top-seeded duo face Chinese pair in summit clash.

Star Indian shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty dished out another attacking masterclass to stand a step away from their second BWF Super 750 title after progressing to the men's doubles final at the China Masters here on Saturday.

The former world No. 1 Indian pair, who had won their first BWF World Super 750 title at the French Open last year, notched up a 21-15 22-20 win over the newly-formed Chinese duo of He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu in an explosive semi-final that lasted 50 minutes.

The top seeds will face another Chinese pair — second seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in the summit clash.

"We are feeling really good. The way we played throughout this week, felt like we have got back our rhythm. Like how we played at Asian Games here in China," said Satwik after the match.

"We are hungry for one more title. We love playing finals. There will be lot of pressure, even opponents will be under pressure. We wanted to play final here, and now we want to end it on a good note. So just want to go back, take rest and see what happens tomorrow." The match featured some exciting rallies as both the pairs played at a frenetic pace but it was the Indian pair, which had more sting in its attack as it penetrated the defence of its opposition.

The world number 50 pair of He and Ren, who had a title-winning run last week at the Japan Masters, did show their prowess, especially in the second game but Satwik and Chirag displayed great mental fortitude to close the issue in straight games.

Playing the Chinese pair for the first time, Satwik and Chirag produced another attacking game, their electric pace making life difficult for their opposition.