India’s men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty bowed out in the semifinals of the Denmark Open on Saturday, losing to Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi 21-23, 21-18, 16-21 in a 68-minute contest.
Hoki and Kobayashi, who had won only once against the sixth-seeded Indians before, dug deep in Odense to edge out the World Championship bronze medallists.
Satwik and Chirag started strongly, racing to a 4-1 lead in the opening game, but a run of unforced errors allowed the Japanese pair to seize control and go into the interval 11-6 ahead.
The Indians regrouped after the break, taking six of the next eight points to close in at 12-13. They even held a game point, but Satwik missed a straightforward chance, allowing the Japanese to claw back and pocket the opener.
In the second game, Chirag’s aggression at the net and sharp placement helped the Indians regain momentum, leading 16-14. Satwik then earned two game points before Chirag sealed it to force a decider.
The final game turned into a tense battle of angles and reflexes, with both pairs intent on controlling the early exchanges in each rally. The Indians led 11-10 at the mid-game interval, but the Japanese lifted their intensity soon after, winning a 31-shot rally and tightening their defence to go up 13-11.
The lead stretched to 17-13, and a net error from Chirag handed Hoki and Kobayashi four match points. Kobayashi then sealed the result with a precise return, sending the Japanese into their first final of the year.
(With PTI inputs)
Published on Oct 18, 2025