Satwik-Chirag brace for stern test in ‘group of death’ at BWF finals

Hangzhou: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will face a stern examination of form and resilience when the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals begin here on Wednesday, with the Indian men’s doubles duo drawn in what is widely regarded as the ‘group of death’.

The showpiece features the top-eight players or pairs in each discipline, determined by performances across the World Tour calendar.

Former world No. 1 Satwik and Chirag, currently ranked world No. 3, are the only Indian representatives at this elite event.

Placed in Group B, the Asian Games champions will take on a formidable line-up that includes multiple Olympic medallists.

They open their campaign against China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, the Paris Olympic silver medallists, before facing Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, a pair known for their pace and attacking depth.

In their final group match on Friday, the Indians will meet their long-time nemesis, Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik who are the Paris Olympic bronze medallists and second seeds.

The head-to-head numbers underline the challenge. Satwik and Chirag trail the world No. 7 Chinese pair 3-7, having lost to them in the Hong Kong Open

final in September, though the Indians prevailed in their most recent meeting at the China Masters.

They have also lost their only previous encounter against the world No. 11 Indonesian pair at the Australian Open quarterfinals, while Aaron and Soh have proved a thorn in their flesh for much of their career.