Big boost from China Masters win will fuel Asian Games charge: Satwik, Chirag

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty said staying "mindfully aggressive" helped them break their China Masters jinx, with the title providing a timely boost ahead of their Asian Games title defence.China Masters win big boost to go all guns blazing at Asian Games: Satwik, Chirag (Badminton Photo)Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty finally broke their China Masters jinx on Sunday, and the Indian pair believe the hard-fought triumph has given them the confidence to go "all guns blazing" at the Asian Games later this month.The third time proved lucky for the world No. 1 pair as they fought back to beat China's He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 and won the USD 1.25 million China Masters Super 750 title.It was Satwik and Chirag's second title of the 2026 season and their first at the China Masters, after finishing runners-up last year and reaching the semifinals in 2024."Playing here is always good. We have always played (well) coming back from injury. In 2024 after Olympics we played here, we played semis. Then last year we played, we weren't in a good shape. We played finals," Satwik said. "This tournament has given us a lot of confidence. This week has been the same story. Except the first round, all the games we have played three games."The Indians were outplayed in the opening game but turned the match around by adopting a more controlled approach. "In the first game, it wasn't lacking (aggression) but we were not playing the right strokes. We were playing a style which favoured them," Chirag said."In the second game when we started, we wanted to be aggressive, but mindfully aggressive. And that's what he (coach) was telling."Satwik said the pair stuck to their game plan under pressure, particularly in the deciding game, when they recovered from 16-16 to seal the title."Today, we kind of held the nerve. We didn't make easy mistakes in the end. So that was a positive from today's match. And we are just sticking to the game plan," he said."In the third game, we were pretty much calm. Even Chirag was telling, 'we are under control'. We didn't panic much, actually."The title comes at an ideal time for the pair, with the Asian Games beginning in Japan on September 19. Satwik and Chirag will be looking to defend the gold medal they won at the previous edition."It feels really special. Obviously, going into the Asian Games, winning a title definitely gives a huge boost that what we are working for is in the right direction," Chirag said."We will go back home, push ourselves to the limit, train for the next 10 days and go all guns blazing at the Asian Games. We want to go out there and have some fun."Satwik, who picked up several points with his flick serve in the final, also credited the work he did on his service and receive during his recovery from a recurring shoulder injury."I was practising more on the services because I was injured. When I was injured also, I was doing a lot of services and catching it. So I think that has helped me in the last two tournaments," he said.The Indian pair will now return home for a short training stint before heading to Japan with renewed confidence and momentum.- EndsPublished By: Saurabh KumarPublished On: Sep 6, 2026 19:49 IST