IMAGE: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, currently ranked 15th in the world, defeated the Korean duo of Kang Min Hyuk and Kim Dong Ju 21-18, 21-10 in just 42 minutes. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images via Reuters
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu endured yet another first-round exit but Lakshya Sen and the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty moved into the second round with comfortable victories at the Japan Open in Tokyo on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old Sindhu, who is a former world champion, went down 15-21, 14-21 to Korea’s Sim Yu Jin in the Super 750 tournament, marking her fifth first-round exit this year.
Satwik-Chirag and Lakshya, on the other hand, registered dominant straight-game wins.
After a slow start, Sindhu, who appeared rusty and error-prone and struggled with judgment of length, showed some fight in the first game but Sim regained control to claim her first career win over the Indian star.
In the second, Sindhu quickly fell behind 1-6. Though she managed to level the score at 11-11, the Korean pulled away with ease to seal the match in straight games.
In men’s doubles, Satwik and Chirag, currently ranked 15th in the world, defeated the Korean duo of Kang Min Hyuk and Kim Dong Ju 21-18, 21-10 in just 42 minutes.
The former World No. 1 pair took some time to settle down, with the Koreans matching them early in the first game.
But once the Indians found their rhythm, they were unstoppable, dominating the second game with clinical precision.
Meanwhile, Lakshya who has struggled for form this season, making a string of first-round exits, looked sharp as he dispatched China’s Wang Zheng Xing 21-11, 21-18.
The World No. 18 Lakshya was in complete control in the opening game, racing to an 11-2 lead before sealing it with minimal fuss.
While Xing mounted a better challenge in the second game, Lakshya capitalised on his early momentum to stay ahead and close out the match in straight games.
He will next face seventh seed and local favourite Kodai Naraoka in the round of 16.
In women’s singles, Anupama Upadhyaya prevailed 21-15, 18-21, 21-18 over Rakshitha Ramraj in a battle between two Indians. Anupama will next face second seeded Chinese Wang Zhi Yi.
Unnati Hooda, a Taipei Open semifinalist earlier this year, however, went down 8-21, 12-21 to seventh seed Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand in the opening round.
Among other results, men’s doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi lost 15-21, 9-21 to Korea’s third seeds Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae, while women’s doubles pair of Kavipriya Selvam-Simran Singhi went down 6-21, 15-21 to Hong Kong’s Lui Lok Lok and Tsang Hiu Yan.
