India’s men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, faced an early setback at the Japan Open as they had to retire from their opening-round match due to Satwik’s recurring shoulder injury. The duo, ranked world No. 4, withdrew from the contest against Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard after losing the first game 19-21. This injury also rules them out of the upcoming China Open.
The injury comes after Satwik and Chirag’s recent victory at the Singapore Open in May, where they clinched a BWF World Tour title after a two-year wait. However, Satwik’s shoulder problem resurfaced during the Indonesia Open, leading to their withdrawal from subsequent tournaments. Now, they aim to recover in time for the BWF World Championships in India next month.
On a brighter note, two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu started her campaign at the Japan Open with a strong performance in the women’s singles, defeating Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching 21-14, 21-11 in just 35 minutes. Sindhu displayed dominance throughout the match, securing a comfortable victory and advancing to the next round of the BWF Super 750 event.
