BWF World Championships: Satwik-Chirag suffer heartbreaking loss in quarterfinals to Chinese pair
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "BWF World Championships: Satwik-Chirag suffer heartbreaking loss in quarterfinals to Chinese pair")
Satwik-Chirag in action Photograph: (BAI)
Satwik-Chirag exit World Championships after losing to Liang-Wang, while Treesa-Gayatri beat China to enter the semifinals and secure a medal
India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were knocked out of the BWF World Championships 2026 after suffering a straight-game defeat to China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in the men’s doubles quarterfinals in New Delhi on Friday (August 21). Playing in front of a home crowd, the Indian pair went down 18-21, 9-21 as Liang and Wang delivered a composed and clinical performance to secure their place in the semifinals.
Satwik and Chirag started the contest strongly and stayed close to their Chinese opponents throughout the opening game. The Indians led 18-16 and appeared to be in control, but Liang and Wang responded with five consecutive points to turn the game around and take it 21-18. The Chinese duo carried that momentum into the second game, quickly taking control of the proceedings. They led 11-5 at the interval and continued to extend their advantage as the Indian pair struggled to regain their rhythm.
Satwik and Chirag committed several errors, particularly around the net, while Liang and Wang remained calm and capitalised on the mistakes. The Chinese pair eventually wrapped up the second game 21-9 to seal a place in the last four. Satwik’s shoulder issue also appeared to hamper the Indian pair during the match, restricting some of the shots he was able to play. The quarterfinal initially developed into a closely fought battle, with neither pair managing to establish a substantial advantage. The Indians held an 11-10 lead at the mid-game interval before Liang and Wang gradually shifted the momentum in their favour.
Despite the defeat, Satwik and Chirag produced a strong campaign at the home World Championships, reaching the quarterfinal stage before their run came to an end. While Liang and Wang advanced to the semifinals, attention will now turn to Satwik’s shoulder and his recovery following the physically demanding contest.
Earlier, India’s women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand produced a stunning comeback victory over China’s Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian to storm into the semifinals of the BWF World Championships 2026. Treesa and Gayatri recovered after losing the opening game to register a 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 victory in a contest that lasted more than 70 minutes. The win assured the Indian duo of at least a bronze medal and marked another impressive performance by India’s women’s doubles combination on home soil.
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