India’s prime males’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty endured one more heartbreak, falling in straight video games to world No.1 Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of Korea in a gripping China Masters Super 750 final in Shenzhen on Sunday (September 21, 2025).
The Asian Games champions had hoped to finish their title drought however squandered a 14-7 benefit in the opening sport earlier than slipping to a 19-21, 15-21 defeat in 45 minutes.
Satwik and Chirag got here into their second successive final in supreme contact, not dropping a sport all week after including a second World Championships bronze and ending runners-up on the Hong Kong Open. But they might rue letting slip the opening sport from a place of power.
Kim and Seo, who reunited this season after experimenting with different companions, had been contesting their ninth final of 2025, having already received six titles, together with a World Championships gold in Paris and Super 1000 crowns on the All England and Indonesia Open.
It was billed as a battle between the world’s greatest assault and the perfect defence and it did have its moments however in the top Kim and Seo confirmed higher nerves and technical acumen to emerge victories.
In the opening, the Koreans jumped to a 3-0 lead however the Indians stormed again with a flurry of angled smashes to make it 6-all. Chirag’s deft touches on the internet gave them an 11-7 cushion on the break and shortly they stretched it to 14-8.
However, errors crept in, a misplaced video problem broke their rhythm and the Koreans pounced on eight of the subsequent 9 factors to wrest again the momentum at 15-all. Kim served a fault however a misleading return stored it tight at 17-17.
A internet error from Chirag handed Korea a 19-17 lead, however the Indians struck again as Seo miscued to make it 19-all.
The left-handed Kim earned sport level with a pointy winner, and Chirag went large to provide the Koreans the opening sport.
After the change of sides, the Indians went 3-2 up with Chirag dazzling on the internet, even producing a between-the-legs shot earlier than spraying large. At 4-4, Satwik hit his personal between-the-legs return to win some extent.
The Indians unleashed steep angled smashes to interrupt by means of the Korean defence and led 8-6. However, they allowed the Koreans again to 9-9 earlier than Seo’s outrageous cross-court defensive return made it 10-9. Seo produced one other delicate internet shot to safe a one-point cushion on the interval.
On resumption, Seo served into the web however killed Satwik’s weak serve on the subsequent level. A flat return from Seo, adopted by Kim preserving a rally alive regardless of being on the ground, and Chirag hitting lengthy, gave the Koreans a four-point lead at 15-11. Seo prevailed in a flat change subsequent earlier than Chirag miscued once more as the Koreans stayed forward 17-14.
A neat drop shot prolonged the result in 18-15 for the Koreans, who grabbed 5 match factors after Chirag went lengthy twice. Satwik then pushed the final return lengthy to seal the title for the Koreans.
