China Masters 2026 quarterfinals: Satwik-Chirag weather the storm with a 36-shot rally, Srikanth quietly steps over the other side of the slope

At the LI-NING China Masters Super 750 in Shenzhen on September 4, 2026, India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Denmark's Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen 21-13, 16-21, 21-18 to reach the men's doubles semifinals. The match turned on a 36-shot rally at 17-17 in the deciding game, with the Indians winning six of the final seven points. It was a much-needed response after their quarterfinal loss to the same Danish pair at the World Championships in August. However, Satwik-Chirag's physical fragility remains a concern after their mid-match withdrawal from the Indonesia Open in June. They are consistent China Masters performers but have never won the title. In men's singles, Kidney Srikanth lost 16-21, 16-21 to Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu, highlighting the 33-year-old's decline. Ranked 34th, Srikanth faces an increasingly difficult path back to the sport's elite, while the ranking points Satwik-Chirag must defend from last year's runner-up finish could cost them valuable seeding positions.