India’s top badminton duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, continued their stellar season by advancing to the semi-finals of the China Open 2025, following a dominant straight-game victory over Malaysia’s Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo in Changzhou on Friday. The Indian pair won 21-18, 21-14 in just 40 minutes, showcasing attacking brilliance and strategic play.
The win marked their seventh victory in ten encounters against the Malaysian pair and secured their fourth semi-final appearance of the season after the Malaysia Open, India Open, and Singapore Open. Ranked World No.12, Satwik and Chirag are now aiming to reach their first final since winning the Thailand Open in May 2024.
“We’ve played them before in similar court conditions,” said Rankireddy. “We focused on taking control early and not giving them any room, especially at the net where they’re very creative. We kept attacking their serves and stayed sharp.”
Next, they face a tough test in the form of second seeds Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik—a Malaysian duo they’ve beaten only three times in thirteen meetings. “It’s always a battle against Aaron and Soh,” said Shetty. “We’re happy with our rhythm and excited for the challenge ahead.”
In women’s singles, 17-year-old Unnati Hooda put up a commendable fight but fell short against Japan’s third seed Akane Yamaguchi in the quarter-finals. The Rohtak-born teenager lost 16-21, 12-21 in 33 minutes during their first career meeting.
Despite the loss, Unnati—currently ranked World No.35—is expected to break into the top 30, thanks to her quarter-final run at the prestigious Super 1000 event. Her performance signals a promising future for Indian women’s singles badminton.
With Unnati out, Satwik and Chirag remain India’s only medal hopefuls at the business end of the tournament.