2025 BWF World Tour Finals: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeat Aaron Chia and Soh Woi Yik to go unbeaten in group stage matches

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have sailed into their maiden semifinals at the BWF World Tour Finals. On Friday, the Indians beat Aaron Chia and Soh Woi Yik in their final group stage match to successfully seal their spot in the last four. With this win, they are the only pair to have gone unbeaten in Group B.

The match began with the two pairs breathing down each other's neck. Rankireddy and Shetty were intent in their gameplay but Chia and Yik pulled out the big guns early and inched away to a 9-6 lead in the opener. While the Indians cut this gap down to a point by the interval, they were soon trailing the second seeds 10-15 in the latter half of the game, with the Malaysians eventually sealing the deal 21-17.

The second game began like the first, but this time it was Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty who were in control. The World No.3 duo dictated the rallies and stayed just out of reach, clinching a narrow two point lead by the mid-game interval. While Chia and Yik made a commendable effort to shore up the gap, the Indians successfully claimed the second game 21-18.

The decider kicked off as a cutthroat affair. Aaron Chia and Soh Woi Yik were the ones who got the better start, racing away to a 3-0 lead. Not ones to go down without a fight, Rankireddy and Shetty quickly evened things out and has moved ahead 11-9 by the time the two pairs switched ends. The Indians kept this momentum going and successfully sealed the deal 21-15, marking their third straight win over their Malaysian rivals.

2025 BWF World Tour Finals: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's semifinals preview

With their win against Aaron Chia and Soh Woi Yik, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are the top finishers of Group B at the BWF World Tour Finals.

Up next, the Indians will either face a rematch against China's Liang Wei Kang and Wang Chang or they will run into Indonesia’s Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani, the pair who finish second in Group A. The Indians will be the favorite for the win regardless of their opponents.

Edited by Riddhi Acharya