Japan Open 2026: PV Sindhu enters second round as Satwik-Chirag retire hurt on comeback

PV Sindhu (File pic)

India's star men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty endured another injury setback as their comeback at the Japan Open 2026 was cut short. Meanwhile, PV Sindhu advanced comfortably to the second round of the BWF Super 750 tournament.

Playing in their first competitive tournament since last month's Indonesia Open, Satwik and Chirag were forced to retire midway through their opening-round clash against Denmark's Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard after Satwik's recurring shoulder injury resurfaced.

The world No. 4 Indian pair lost a tight first game 21-19 before making the decision to pull out of the match.

The reigning Asian Games gold medalists had previously missed four tournaments after Satwik originally suffered his shoulder problem during their opening match at the Indonesia Open.

Dominant PV Sindhu sails through to the next round

World No. 10 PV Sindhu produced a commanding display to beat Malaysia's Wong Ling Ching 21-14, 21-11 in just 35 minutes.

The star Indian shuttler controlled the tempo right from the start, building a quick lead and taking advantage of her opponent's mistakes to easily secure the first game.

Sindhu maintained her rhythm in the second game, cruising to an 8-2 advantage before leading 11-3 at the mid-game break. Wong was unable to establish any consistency as Sindhu sealed the match on her second opportunity, securing her third consecutive victory over the Malaysian player.

India also tasted success in the mixed doubles event, where Olympians Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila earned a spot in the second round with a solid 21-16, 21-14 win over Scotland's Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson.

On the other hand, the partnership of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde exited in the first round after a heavy 21-11, 21-10 loss to top seeds and world No. 1 Chinese duo Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping.

The Indian contingent will continue their campaign in Japan on Wednesday, with star player Lakshya Sen and promising teenager Unnati Hooda scheduled to play their first-round singles matches. Meanwhile, Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun will face Chinese Taipei's Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan in another men's doubles match.

(With inputs from ANI)