Satwik-Chirag, Lakshya end runners-up at Hong Kong Open

India squandered a golden alternative to return with two titles as each Lakshya Sen and the lads’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty signed off with runner-up finishes on the Hong Kong Open Super 500 on Sunday (September 14, 2025).

Lakshya couldn’t blunt the assault of world No. 4 Li Shi Feng and went down 15-21 12-21 in a moderately sedate males’s singles ultimate.

Satwik and Chirag, who bagged a second successive World Championships bronze final month, let go of a one-game benefit earlier than shedding 21-19 14-21 17-21 to China’s Olympic silver medallists Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in a tense 61-minute males’s doubles summit conflict.

“Yeah, obviously feels good. Been a good week, especially after the world championships a week later and here we are playing a final. Feels good,” Chirag stated.

“You would want to go and win that title but I think, credit to them, they played well. There’s always a next time and overall happy with the performance.” For Lakshya, it was his first ultimate for the reason that Syed Modi Super 300 final November, however he couldn’t match his acquainted foe Li, towards whom he was enjoying for the 14th time in a rivalry relationship again to their junior days.

The Indian held a slender 7-6 edge within the head-to-head, however the Chinese has dominated this season with wins at each the All England and China Open.

The 2021 World Championship bronze medallist Lakshya made a brisk begin within the opening recreation, surging to a 4-0 lead earlier than Li discovered his rhythm with sharp physique assaults and flat exchanges to shut in at 6-7. The Chinese drew degree at 8-8 with an athletic internet kill after which reeled off 5 straight factors with a mixture of tight internet play and steep smashes to take management at 14-10.

Lakshya tried to wrest again the entrance court docket however miscued at essential moments as Li moved forward 19-15. The Chinese then unleashed a leap cross-court smash to pocket the opener 21-15.

Playing with the drift within the second recreation, Lakshya once more began brightly at 4-1, just for Li to claw again with measured rallies. Errors on the internet and a large smash noticed the Indian path 7-4, and regardless of producing some sharp defensive strokes to cut back the deficit to 9-12, he was unable to blunt Li’s relentless assault.

The world No. 4 stored up the strain, surged to 15-9, and finally grabbed eight match factors earlier than sealing it with one other deft cross-court internet dribble.

For Satwik and Chirag, it was their first ultimate look in 16 months since profitable the Thailand Open, and the loss ended their good document in Super 500 finals, having gained all 4 that they had contested earlier.

The Indians, who’ve reached six semifinals this season, had a 3-6 head-to-head document towards Liang and Wang coming into the match. They had crushed them on the World Championships in Paris.

However, Satwik and Chirag didn’t maintain the momentum after pocketing the opener and, having conceded an inexplicable 2-11 deficit within the decider, had been left chasing the sport.

“I feel the shuttles had been a bit quick. They had been fairly good on the 3-4 strokes. Put us beneath lots of strain within the first 4-5 strokes as a result of they had been retrieving fairly arduous.

“So I think we could have better planned in the second set, especially the third set as well. In the first game we countered it quite well, kept it low, but we weren’t able to do that in the second and third.” The opening recreation was a thriller, with Chirag unleashing booming smashes to erase an early deficit and provides India a slender lead on the interval. The Chinese fought again to nostril forward, however Satwik’s thunderous smash and a precision serve from Chirag sealed the sport 21-19.

Liang and Wang, nonetheless, wrested again management within the second, racing to an 8-2 lead and sustaining their dominance with sharp front-court play and highly effective smashes. Despite a quick Indian restoration, errors on the internet proved pricey because the Chinese levelled the competition.

The decider noticed Liang and Wang storm to a 5-0 begin and lengthen it to 11-2 on the break, capitalising on Indian lapses in coordination. Satwik and Chirag saved three match factors in a late fightback however finally faltered with a large return, permitting the Chinese to clinch the title.