Daijiworld Media Network - Odense

Odense, Oct 16: India’s top men’s doubles duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, battled hard to secure a place in the second round of the Denmark Open Super 750 tournament after a tense three-game encounter against Scotland’s Christopher Grimley and Matthew Grimley on Wednesday.

The sixth-seeded Indian pair, who recently reached consecutive finals at the Hong Kong Open and China Masters, were made to sweat before prevailing 17-21, 21-11, 21-17 in their opening-round clash. Despite losing the first game, Satwik and Chirag bounced back strongly, showcasing their trademark aggression and composure under pressure.

With this victory, the world-class Indian duo, who bagged their second World Championships bronze earlier this year in Paris, have set up a second-round encounter against Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan.

In men’s singles, India’s Lakshya Sen produced a gritty performance to overcome Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen 10-21, 21-8, 21-18 in a hard-fought opening-round match. The 24-year-old shuttler from Almora, who finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics and recently reached the Hong Kong Super 500 final, will next face a tough challenge against either second seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark or Indonesia’s Anthony Ginting.

However, it was disappointment in the mixed doubles category as India’s Mohit Jaglan and Lakshita Jaglan went down 14-21, 11-21 to Indonesia’s Adnan Maulana and Indah Cahya Sari Jamil in the first round.

With Satwik-Chirag and Lakshya keeping India’s hopes alive, fans will be eager to see if the country’s top shuttlers can continue their strong form and make deep runs in the tournament.