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Top seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will square off against second seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang in a blockbuster men's doubles final at the China Masters 2023 in Shenzen, China, on Sunday (November 26).
This is Rankireddy and Shetty's first final since winning a historic gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in September this year. It is their fourth summit clash on the BWF World Tour and the sixth overall in what has been a splendid season for India's premier men's doubles duo.
China Masters 2023, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty vs Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang: Head-to-head and Prediction
Keng/Chang have a slender 2-1 lead over Rankireddy/Shetty in the head-to-head. Incidentally, all three encounters have come this year. The Chinese pair won the first couple of meetings at the Malaysia Open and the All England Open in three games.
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Rankireddy and Shetty then turned the tables on their Chinese foes in their most recent face-off at the Korea Open in July with a 21-15, 24-22 scoreline.
For the Indian pair, it has been a dream season that has seen them lift five trophies at the Asian Games, Badminton Asia Championships, Indonesia Open, Korea Open, and the Swiss Open. Their consistency has been rewarded with a climb to the pinnacle of the world rankings post the Asiad.
Currently ranked fifth, the Indian pair will look to make it six wins in six finals this year.
However, they have a tough obstacle in front of them in the form of World No. 1s Keng and Chang. Not only are they the top-ranked team, the Chinese pair will also have the home support on their side.
In terms of performances this year, Keng and Chang haven't had a shabby season by any means. Their biggest highlights of 2023 include winning a bronze medal at the BWF World Championships apart from clinching titles at the China Open, Thailand Open and the India Open. They also finished as the runners-up at the Malaysia Open and the Singapore Open. Incidentally, Keng and Chang will also be contesting their sixth summit showdown of the year on Sunday.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty head into the China Masters final with slightly more energy, having dispatched every opponent in straight games this week. In contrast, Keng and Chang have dropped two games in the Super 750 event in Shenzen.
It remains to be seen if they have enough in their reserve to fight it out with the supremely confident Indian pair in what promises to be a thrilling showdown between two of the world's best men's doubles teams.
China Masters 2023, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty vs Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang: Date and time
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/ Chirag Shetty and Liang Wei Keng/ Wang Chang will cross swords in the men's doubles final at the China Masters 2023 on Sunday in the fifth match of the day on Court 1 at the Shenzhen Bay Gymnasium.
Date: November 26, 2023
Round: Final
Time: Approx. 5 pm local time; 2.30 pm IST
Venue: Shenzhen Bay Gymnasium, Shenzhen, China
China Masters 2023, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty vs Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang: Where to watch & live streaming details
This China Masters 2023 final match will be telecast live in India on the Sports18 1 and Sports18 1 HD channels. Live streaming will be available on YouTube on BWF.TV. Live scores can also be followed on the tournament software.
