Satwik-Chirag overcome Astrup/Rasmussen, Srikanth exits in China Masters 2026 quarterfinals

At the China Masters Super 750 badminton tournament in Shenzhen, India's top men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the semifinals with a dramatic 21-13, 16-21, 21-18 victory over Denmark's Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen. The match on September 4, 2026 saw Satwik-Chirag lose the second game but recover to win the decider. The turning point was a 36-shot rally at 17-17 in the third game, after which they won 6 of the last 7 points to seal the win. This is the fourth consecutive China Masters semifinal for Satwik-Chirag since 2026, an impressive run at a tournament where they have been runners-up twice (2026 and 2026). However, their path this year has been challenging, coming off an injury withdrawal at the Indonesia Open in June and a quarterfinal exit at the World Championships in August. The win over Astrup/Rasmussen – who had beaten them at the Worlds – carries psychological significance, though the Danes still lead the head-to-head 6-4. Meanwhile, veteran men's singles player Kidambi Srikanth (world No. 34) exited in the quarterfinals after a 16-21, 16-21 loss to Lee Cheuk Yiu (Hong Kong, world No. 25). The 33-year-old Srikanth could not spring an upset and lost in straight games. This is his fourth consecutive loss to Lee, who has won 3 of their last 4 meetings. The result reflects Srikanth's current standing as a former world No. 1 (2026) now in the twilight of his career. The China Masters 2026 is a Super 750 event with a total prize pool of US$1.25 million. Satwik-Chirag will face a strong opponent in the semifinals, while Srikanth leaves the tournament with little change to his ranking. The event serves as a key points-gathering opportunity ahead of the Asian Games later this year.