Satwik-Chirag at Singapore Open Badminton Semifinal 2025 Highlights: SatChi save 7 match points but Chia-Soh prevail

If both pairs make it healthy to Jakarta next for the major Indonesia Open Super 1000, they could potentially be meeting in the second round. 

Satwik-Chirag, who have now slid down to world No 27 after having to miss tournaments due to injury concerns, were the last standing Indian contenders in Singapore this week. Chia and Soh are familiar opponents for the Indians, having met them 12 times in the past and won thrice. The Malaysians were once 8-0 on the Head-to-Head but after that SatChi won three in a row, including the Asian Games semifinal and Indonesia Open final famously. But in their last meeting, Chia-Soh broke Indian hearts at the quarterfinals in the Olympics. And once more Chia-Soh produced a stirring fightback to beat SatChi in three games. 

Chia-Soh are one of the form pairs at the moment, having reached two back-to-back finals in the last two weeks, and winning in Thailand. And against Seo/Kim, arguably the pair of the year so far, they will have their task cut out. 

For the Indians, a good chance to reboot for next week for the big one in Indonesia, the Super 1000. 

Here's how that third game panned out. If only the Indians had avoided conceding such a big lead in the middle phase.

OH WOW! Soh with the winner at the net and the Malaysians hold off a STUNNING LATE FIGHTBACK from the Indians to prevail in a thriller. The Indians saved 7 match points but the gap was too big eventually. 

Three finals in three weeks for Chia-Soh, but a fine return to action for Satwik-Chirag too. 

Oh wow, what a flick serve from Satwik! And the Indians keep the pressure up to win another point.

THIS IS INCREDIBLE. 

Is that a service winner from Satwik?

Soh has challenged it. Either they will win the match or get a breather. 

But it is a perfect service winner from Satwik. Oh wow. Another match point saved.

surely not? surely not? 

Oh another good point for the Indians who have the initiative but all too late perhaps. Miscommunication this time between Chia and Soh. 

Wait, what is going on? Another point where the Malaysians are snatching at the net. Nerves surely? 

One match point saved by a Chia error. Another one saved by a good Chirag winner. A third one saved by a smart shot by Satwik at the net. 

But feels like just delaying the inevitable. 

This has gone away so fast from the Indians. Chia goes for the big smash, Satwik tries to change angle on defence and the shuttle goes wide. 9 match points. 

Finish line in sight for the Malaysians. Another fabulous flat point from the Malaysians, changing angles constantly and not giving any height to the Indians. Satwik with a mishit next point as Soh drives it flat again. It's been the undoing for the Indians today in the 2nd and 3rd games. 

A rare loose defensive lift from Chia of all people and Chirag puts it away at the net. 

Another fabulous rally follows! Soh with so much initiative in that rally, and fittingly he puts it away at the net. Chirag had done so well earlier to keep that point alive at the net. 

WHAT A POINT! A great change of direction from Satwik there but Soh is equal to it at the back court, the Indians keep the rally going on defence, then Satwik somehow finds the angle to smash one down the line. 

Not for the first time, a mishit from Chirag. It's surely the rustiness showing up for the Indians. 

Satwik goes to the umpire and asks for a spray but that is not allowed in badminton anymore. He then just goes to towel down. The Indians getting a bit desperate here. 

Oh wow, how did the Malaysians keep the rally going. Chirag with so much pressure at the net but the ChiaSoh keep sending the shuttle back and not even lifting once. But eventually Chirag does get the winner. 

But the Indians need a run of points that is not happening. Satwik lifts the shuttle and Chirag is drawn to an error at the net. 

Good defensive backhand from Chirag that targets Chia on his body. 

A rather animated mid-game chat there with both the benches egging their wards on for a final push. 

The Indians struggled from the near side in game 2, so this is not a good sign at the moment. 

CHANGE OF ENDS. And it is a massive, in terms of context, lead for the Malaysians. Chirag nearly caught the Malaysians short with a nearly mishit shot but Chia keeps the rally going and the Indians come under increasing defensive pressure. 

This phase might well be most decisive of the match. Chirag is drawn to the front with a low shot and he can't reach it. Soh and Chia again target Chirag low, again they are crouching and Malaysians have a 4 point lead now.

After some flat exchanges, Chirag finally gets some height to work with and he puts away an winner. 

Chirag is great with the net charges but that time he overdoes it and the push takes the shuttle long. From the far side, the Indians would have hoped for better scoreline for sure, a 2-point lead for Chia-Soh. 

Not looking too good for the Indians in general. 

Desperate defending from Satwik first and then Chirag to keep the rally alive but the Malaysians level it up at 5-5. 

Oh not the first time, Chirag is having trouble reading the short serve from Soh. It is too close to send it over the net. 

Oh wow, Chirag with superb reactions next point. Nearly Matrix level, the back would have felt that bend as he found a block winner. 

Satwik's smashes have found a zing again and the Indians sneak ahead early doors.

But Chia takes over at the net to get the serve back. This is some tussle at the start of Game 3. A complete mishit from Chirag there as Soh makes a clever change of direction. But Chirag makes up for it next point with a pin-point smash in the gap between the two Malaysians. 

WHAT A RALLY. Point of the match, now. Satwik is raining down the smashes from the back court but some sensational defense from the Malaysians, especially the brilliant Aaron Chia. Chirag then takes over for the flatter exchanges of the rally. And eventually a broken strong for Chia and the point goes to India. 

41 shots. LONGEST RALLY SO FAR. 

10 game points for the Malaysians and they need only 1 to convert as Chirag pushes the shuttle long. The worrying aspect is not the scoreline but how the Indians didn't have a grasp of the drift at all in that 2nd game.

The Indians completely on the defensive here, playing passive badminton, not really looking for any openings in that rally and the error eventually comes. 

Another error as Chirag shouts 'out out out' but the shuttle lands in. They have not been comfortable from the near side at all and Gill Clark makes the exact same point. 

A comeback was beginning to look plausible but a service error from Satwik and a soft error on the smash from Chirag and the MNAS pair have another 7 point lead.

Oh complete breakdown of communication there, Chirag started moving across the court to the net and Satwik was closer to the shuttle. But both end up leaving it. You don't see that very often from the Indians, but that is the sign of them training barely a couple of weeks in the lead up to this tournament.

Oh this time Satwik pounces at the net to target Soh on his body. A hand up goes in apology but a good point for the Indians. 

Oh dear, can't afford such errors, Chirag snatches at the backhand at the net, unlike him. The serve goes away again. 

Soh with a great third shot winner on his own serve and the lead is now 7.

If the Game is inevitable, the Indians will look for some momentum, and clues too from the near side, to help them after the change of ends. A high pressure point from the net by Chirag and the Indians get the serve back at 6-12.

A couple of soft errors from the Malaysians and the gap is look a bit less daunting for the Indians...

...but still, a 11-5 lead is huge at the interval. The decider looks almost inevitable here. 

Magical return of serve from Aaron, and another net cord, this one well earned, the shuttlers will tell you they practice this all the time. 

A tame service error from Soh but the MAS immediately get the serve back off the back of a lucky net cord. Everything going their way in Game 2 so far. 

POINT OF THE MATCH. So far at least. Great flat exchanges from both pairs, and it is indeed the longest rally of the match. 32 shots. Satwik's increasing tempo at the net eventually proves too hot for the MAS pair. Finally a point for the Indians in Game 2. 

Oh dear, Satwik lets the shuttle drop in way too inside. Bad misjudgment there and there is some miscommunication between the Indians next point too as Satwik nets a forehand drive. This is a massive lead now for the Malaysians. 

Breathless men's doubles badminton. Phew. Chirag with a couple of crucial interventions at the net and Satwik with some wonderful changes of pace to convert the 2nd game point. It's been thrilling to watch. 21-19 SatChi.

The Malaysians have however made a strong start to Game 2. A big early lead already given how close the contests between them tends to be. Some great defensive work by the Malaysians. 

Wonderful touch from Satwik! Brilliant changes of pace from the big man at the back, not just all smashes you know?

The Indians take the lead in the match. That was some wonderful doubles badminton towards the end-game from both pairs but the Indians a bit more steady in crunch situations. 

Soh makes up for it. what a sensational return of serve and the game point saved first up. Chia's serve now. 

Some confusion in the Indian formation there with Chirag back-pedalling but it doesn't cost them as the Malaysian's send the shuttle long. And Soh makes the error next point under pressure. Snatching at the smash and the Indians have game points 

This is where most elite doubles matches become decisive. Around the 16-17 mark. The Malaysians have the serve but Satwik and Chirag both nail their sharp smashes, with Chirag intercepting at the net early. Crucial crucial point. But the Malayisans not going away, Aaron Chia showing his smashing power too, a clean winner to Chirag's backhand side, unreturnable. 

Massive smash from Satwik but it is return with interest from Soh this time and it is too quick for Chirag to handle at the net. All level! 

Slightly concerning that the Indians are now not controlling the longer (well, relatively speaking) points as they usually do. Another developed rally but ends with an error from Chirag. 

UFF! Massive smash from Satwik and it is a winner, as well as a string-breaker. Two-polnt lead and a racket change. 

Soft error from Aaron at the net. One more point won or lost at the net. 

This time Satwik's turn to turn the heat on with the service return and the Indians have the serve back. 

A lot of this match is happening at the net at the moment and Soh is crucial to Malaysia there. The Indians are not exactly strong in this area but they are doing well enough at the moment.A developed rally after a long time it feels like, both pairs are scrambling, the Indians are out of position, Satwik's mishit shot nearly loops over the net but it is wide. It is now a 1-point game. 

Momentum shifting. 

Chirag charges forward after a good low serve return and throws the Malaysian defence off, and the Indians put it away. Good tactical point. 

Oh what a serve. That Chirag drive serve, when it works, is a classic. The Indians lead 14-10. But his backhand drive from a rally off the next point misses the sidelines. MAS have the serve back at 11-14. Great pressure from the serviceand Aaron's third shot is unreturnable. 2-point game. 

While the Indians are both sensational from backcourt with their attacks, the Malaysian strength is that both Chia & Soh are sensational at the frontcourt with their speed and angles. That gets the serve back to them at 8-12. 

Wonderful reflex from Satwik even as he was moving himself on the court to where he had to be, but he keeps his eye on the shutte and finds and empty corner of the court. 11-8 after just 7 minutes of play. Super furious stuff. 

A challenge from the Indians for a service that was called out of the box and they win that review. Good call. A small but useful 2-point lead again for the Indian, can they take into the interval? 

Nothing to choose between the two pairs here early on, both making errors, forced and unforced, but the pattern is that when the Indians get out of the 1-2-3 situation and engage in a rally where they get the Malaysians to lift, their attack is carrying the extra sting as seen for that point at 8-8. 

Now the Malaysians sneak ahead. It is all fast and furious. "We have hardly had a rally yet," says commentator Gill Clark. And another short point makes it level at 5-5. Really good crouching play from the Indians next point to keep the shuttle alive and the error comes from the MAS side now. But Chirag's flick serve doesn't work as Chia shows his net prowess to draw it all level at 7-7.

That was like defence vs offence in training. The Indians are going bang-bang-bang but the sturdy Malaysians keep pinging the shuttle back, but eventually Satwik breaks through. The Indains with a small early edge here but as we say that Soh with a lovely winner at the net from a service return. And he quickly makes it level at 5-5 as Chirag makes an error at the net.. 

Couple of lovely winners from either side of the net to start this match. 

Oops, just like yesterday, an early service fault for height from Satwik. It continues to bother him but hopefully not at a crucial stage later on. 

Reminder of the head-to-head. 

The last match of the day and it is time for SatChi vs ChiaSoh. The former world No 1s vs the current world No 3s and former world champs. 

The Koreans are, for our money, the men's doubles pair of the year. What a deadly duo, espeically the magnificent Seo Seungjae. They are in the final.

Kim & Anders have fallen behind after starting of game 2 well. This could be over very soon.

“To beat these guys, we need to be good in defence, it can’t be always all-attack. We have been working on it with Boe for a while now. We are used to it now,” Satwik had said at India Open last year. SatChi's win yesterday however was built on all-out attack, so it will be interesting to see how they go about it today against the Asian Championships winner. 

Chia-Soh of course won the meeting at Paris 2024, coming from a game down, to stun the Indians. 

Earlier in the year at the India Open, SatChi had won in straight games, a victory that actually took the Indians back to the top of the world rankings. 

“People used to say, we never won against them after seven or eight meetings,” Satwik told reporters after the match. “I used to feel then, ‘it’s ok we might lose 10 times or 100 times also but at least one time we will win.’ Once we crossed that border for the first time, then I knew there wouldn’t be any fear for us, we can beat them anytime. It took us a while to cross that line. When it matters really, it has happened. Indonesia, Asian Games, and today.”

(Of course, they would have traded any of those three wins for one at the Paris Games) 

#IndianOpenSuper750 #IndiaOpen2024

You wait for something for so long, and then it happens not once but repeatedly in quick succession. Like London buses, as the saying goes, Satwik-Chirag defeat Chia-Soh for third straight time.

?? Today's piece:https://t.co/T9XqtdHFSG pic.twitter.com/SZEGpVMTru

— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) January 21, 2024

Satwik-Chirag, who have now slid down to world No 27 after having to miss tournaments due to injury concerns, are the last standing Indian contenders in Singapore this week. Chia and Soh are familiar opponents for the Indians, having met them 12 times in the past and won thrice. The Malaysians were once 8-0 on the Head-to-Head but after that SatChi won three in a row, including the Asian Games semifinal and Indonesia Open final famously. But in their last meeting, Chia-Soh broke Indian hearts at the quarterfinals in the Olympics. 

Chirag kept poking at his sides, but seemed to attack with no impediment. "Everyday is getting better. We didn't really know how and if we will be able to play at Singapore," he said of the tough times away from the sport, tending to his injury. "Because frankly speaking we just trained for 10 days in a span of two months. I had a lot of doubts whether I'll be able to play because with my back condition I didn't know how it will go. It's amazing that we could play and looking forward to tomorrow," he said. Wanting to make a point, and knowing their combined attack suffices, is something the coaches have been doing for a while.

Coach Tan had manifested this attacking mode a decade ago. Now he has to help them realise that potential against their nemeses, Aaron-Soh. Satwik pointed to his coaches after the win, and Chirag pumped his fist and both coaches were quite animated, and the reasons weren't simply bettering their Round 2 Singapore record. But these are title contending elites of badminton. It's the Sunday they need to get to, and there's some colourful Telugu, Hindi and English words that amount to the 'Hulk, Smash' orders.

(From Shivani Naik's quarterfinal report) 

A typically mad-cap men's doubles semifinals so far. After a storming start for Koreans, Kim and Anders have clawed their way back to trail just by a point at the interval. And incredibly, just 8 mins have been spent on court so far.

In the first of the men's doubles semifinals arguably the pair of the year so far in Kim and Seo, are off to a rousing start against the top seeds from Denmark.