Paris [France]: India’s premier men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, once again proved why they rank among the world’s elite, booking their spot in the semifinals of the BWF World Championships 2025 with a commanding win over Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the quarterfinals at the Adidas Arena in Paris.
The Indian duo delivered a clinical performance, winning in straight games 21-12, 21-19. The victory also served as sweet revenge, as the last encounter between these pairs came in the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics 2024, where Chia and Soh had ended the Indians’ campaign. This time, Satwik and Chirag turned the tables emphatically.
With this triumph, the Indian pair has secured at least a medal, marking their second podium finish at the World Championships. Their first came in 2022, when they had lost in the semifinals to the same Malaysian duo they defeated this time.
In the semifinals on Saturday, Satwik and Chirag will face China’s World No. 11 Liu Yi and Chen Bo Yang. Riding on their current form and confidence, the Indian duo will aim for a spot in the final.
Earlier, India’s top singles shuttler PV Sindhu saw her campaign end in the quarterfinals with a hard-fought defeat against Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani.
World No. 15 Sindhu fell to world No. 9 Putri 14-21, 21-13, 16-21 in a match that lasted one hour and four minutes. Putri’s deceptive shot-making forced Sindhu to cover the entire court, and despite her reach and skill, Sindhu could not maintain the composure needed to close out the match.
The first game started cautiously, with both players exchanging early unforced errors, tied at 3-3. Putri gradually edged ahead to 6-8 and then 7-11 at the midpoint. Sindhu attempted a fightback with a four-point streak but ultimately lost the opening game 14-21.
In the second game, Putri initially kept the score level at 2-2, but Sindhu regained control, surging to a 9-3 lead. She maintained a five-point advantage at the halfway mark and extended it further with precise drop shots and cross-court smashes, eventually winning the game 21-13 to force a decider.
The final game saw intense rallies and shifting momentum. Putri stayed resilient, leveling at 7-7 after Sindhu’s defensive lapse. The match swung back and forth until Putri gained the upper hand at 11-12 and maintained her momentum to claim a 16-21 victory in the third game, securing her place in the semifinals.
