Satwik-Chirag reach China Masters 2026 semifinals, Srikanth stops at quarterfinals

On September 4, 2026, in Shenzhen, China, India's top men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Denmark's Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen 21-13, 16-21, 21-18 to reach the semifinals of the China Masters Super 750. This is the fourth consecutive time since 2026 that Satwik-Chirag have reached the semifinals of this tournament, an impressive record demonstrating their consistency at this annual event in China. The match followed a familiar pattern for Satwik-Chirag this season: a strong start, a dip in the second game, and composure in the decider. In the first game, they dominated with high-speed play, winning 21-13. However, in the second game, Astrup/Rasmussen adjusted tactics, increasing pressure on Chirag's serve and extending rallies, causing the Indian pair to lose rhythm and fall 16-21. In the deciding game, the score was tied at 17-17 when a 36-shot rally shifted momentum: Satwik-Chirag won the point after a series of defensive and counter-attacking shots, then took 6 of the final 7 points to seal the match 21-18. This was their first victory over the Danish pair since their defeat in the World Championships quarterfinals in August. This victory is significant as Satwik-Chirag are recovering from injury. In June, they were forced to retire mid-match at the Indonesia Open due to physical issues, raising concerns about their ability to maintain peak form. However, they subsequently won the Singapore Open (Super 750) and finished runners-up at the Thailand Open (Super 500). Despite a quarterfinal exit at the World Championships on home soil, their performance at the China Masters shows the former world No.1 pair can still compete with top opponents. Currently ranked world No.5, reaching the semifinals helps them defend most of the points from last year's runner-up finish, avoiding a ranking drop. Meanwhile, in men's singles, former world No.1 Kidambi Srikanth (33, ranked 34) stopped at the quarterfinals after a 16-21, 16-21 loss to Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu (ranked 25). This was Srikanth's fourth consecutive defeat to Lee, with all sets showing a clear gap in form and fitness between a declining player and a mid-top-30 opponent. Srikanth, a world championship silver medalist in 2026 and Thomas Cup champion in 2026, can no longer maintain the explosiveness needed to compete with top-20 players. His best result in 2026 was a runner-up finish at the US Open (Super 300), a tournament lacking many big names. Srikanth's decline poses a succession challenge for Indian badminton in men's singles, as Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy have also not fully broken into the top group. In the semifinals, Satwik-Chirag will face either top seeds Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang (China) or Malaysia's Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin. This is a much tougher test than the quarterfinal, as Liang/Wang are reigning world champions and world No.1. However, Satwik-Chirag defeated them in the Singapore Open final in May, so there is reason for optimism. The China Masters 2026 serves as a crucial warm-up before the Asian Games later this year, where the Indian pair are defending champions. A good result in Shenzhen will boost their confidence for the Asian title defense. Overall, today's matches highlight two contrasting trajectories in Indian badminton: Satwik-Chirag are gradually regaining form after a difficult period, while Srikanth continues his inevitable decline. For Vietnamese fans, this is also an opportunity to follow the last major tournament before the Asian Games, where home players also have high expectations.