Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah Storm into China Smash Semifinals with Statement Win Over Chinese Pair

India’s Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah produced one of their most emphatic performances on the WTT Grand Smash stage, defeating China’s Liang Jingkun and Xiang Peng 3-0 to reach the semifinals of the WTT China Smash 2026.

The Indian pair won 11-9, 11-5, 11-4, completing the victory in straight games and barely allowing their Chinese opponents an opportunity to build momentum. The result sends the second-seeded Indian combination into the last four of another Grand Smash this season and further strengthens their status as one of the most dangerous doubles partnerships on the international circuit. It is only the second WTT Grand Smash semifinal appearance for Thakkar and Shah. Their first came earlier this year at the Singapore Smash, where they became the first Indian men's doubles pair to reach the semifinals of a WTT Grand Smash. The Indian Express

This time, however, they have gone one step further in terms of the quality of their route to the last four.

The straight-games win over Liang and Xiang came less than 24 hours after the Indians had been pushed to the limit in their quarterfinal. Thakkar and Shah had to survive a five-game contest against China's Chen Junsong and Zhou Qihao, eventually winning 11-5, 11-6, 2-11, 7-11, and 12-10. That match could easily have slipped away after India surrendered a two-game lead. The Chinese pair forced a deciding game and moved the contest into a tense finish, but Thakkar and Shah held their nerve at 10-10 to close out the quarterfinal.

The physical and mental demands of that comeback made their performance in the semifinal even more impressive. Against Liang and Xiang, there was no repeat of the late drama.

India controlled the contest almost from the beginning.

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The opening game was the closest of the three. The Chinese pair stayed level with India through the early exchanges, with the score moving from 6-6 to 7-7. Neither combination was able to establish a decisive lead. At 8-8, however, Thakkar and Shah found another gear. They won the next two points to create game point at 10-8. Liang and Xiang saved one opportunity, but the Indians converted the next chance to take the opener 11-9.

That two-point finish was important because it prevented the Chinese pair from gaining early control. The second game was markedly different. India immediately began to build pressure, while Liang and Xiang struggled to string together points. Thakkar and Shah moved through the middle of the game with increasing authority, eventually establishing a 10-4 advantage.

They closed it out 11-5 to move within one game of the semifinals.

No way back for Liang and Xiang

The third game demonstrated just how much control India had established. Thakkar and Shah won the opening point and then continued to extend their advantage. After Liang and Xiang managed their first point, India surged ahead again, moving from 2-1 to 5-1 and then 7-2. The Chinese pair called a timeout at 0-3 and attempted to disrupt India's rhythm, but it had little effect.

India's lead continued to grow. At 9-3, the result was effectively within reach. Liang and Xiang managed one more point, but Thakkar and Shah remained composed and secured match point at 10-4. The next point finished the contest. 11-9, 11-5, 11-4. Three games. No deciding game. No late collapse.

A performance built around control.

The result is another significant marker in the development of Thakkar and Shah as a doubles partnership. Their Singapore Smash semifinal earlier this year established them as genuine Grand Smash contenders. They have since continued to show that their run in Singapore was not an isolated result. The China Smash campaign has provided further evidence.

The quarterfinal required resilience. The semifinal demanded authority. They delivered both. The pair's ability to recover from a five-game battle and then dismantle another Chinese combination in straight games is particularly notable at a tournament of this level. Their victory also carries additional weight because it came against a Chinese pairing on home soil precisely the environment where opponents are accustomed to the conditions, pace and pressure of the competition.

Thakkar and Shah's progression means India has another opportunity to reach the men's doubles final at one of the biggest events on the WTT calendar. For the Indian pair, the objective now is clear: convert a second Grand Smash semifinal appearance into their first final. They have already demonstrated two important qualities in Beijing. Against Chen Junsong and Zhou Qihao, they showed they could survive pressure.

Against Liang Jingkun and Xiang Peng, they showed they could impose it. The 3-0 scoreline also tells its own story. India did not merely scrape through a difficult match; it took control early and never allowed the Chinese pair to turn the contest into a prolonged battle. From 11-9 in the opening game to 11-4 in the third, the trajectory was unmistakable.

Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah are no longer simply making up the numbers at Grand Smash events. They are becoming a genuine threat to the established doubles hierarchy.

At China Smash, they are now one victory away from a Grand Smash final — and with the confidence generated by their latest performance, the Indian pair will enter the semifinals believing that the biggest prize is within reach.