Singapore: India’s top men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, made a triumphant return to competitive action at the Singapore Open Super 750 badminton tournament on Wednesday, while Lakshya Sen suffered a setback after being forced to retire hurt during his opening-round clash.
Returning to the court for the first time since their withdrawal from the All England Open in March due to Chirag’s back injury, Satwik and Chirag showed no signs of rust. The former world No. 1 duo defeated Malaysia’s Choong Hon Jian and Muhammad Haikal 21-16, 21-13 in just under 40 minutes in their round of 32 encounter.
This marks the Indian pair’s second career victory over the world No. 41 Malaysian duo. Satwik and Chirag are currently ranked 27th in the world, and their performance suggests they are back in form. They had previously skipped the Sudirman Cup due to Satwik’s health issues but started the year strong with semifinal finishes at the Malaysia Open and India Open.
In contrast, India’s top men’s singles player Lakshya Sen had a disappointing outing. The world No. 17 was forced to retire midway through his match against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi, ranked 19th globally.
Sen began well, taking the first game 21-15. Lin responded by claiming the second 21-17, and during the decider, Sen was trailing 5-13 when he was forced to withdraw due to injury. The exact nature of the injury is not yet known.
Other Indian Performances
In mixed doubles, the Indian pair of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde progressed to the pre-quarterfinals, defeating the American duo of Chen Zhi Yi and Francesca Corbett 21-16, 21-19 in a match that lasted 35 minutes.
In women’s singles, Aakarshi Kashyap put up a commendable fight against world No. 4 Han Yue of China. Kashyap, ranked 46th, took the opening game 21-17 but eventually succumbed to the Chinese third seed, who claimed the next two games 21-13, 21-7 in a 58-minute contest, showcasing her superior stamina and tactical control.
