In a stunning upset at the Singapore Open, World No. 1 men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were knocked out in the opening round by Denmark’s World No. 34 duo, Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard, on Tuesday. The Indian favorites, recently crowned champions of the Thailand Open Super 500, fell 20-22, 18-21 in a 47-minute match of the Super 750 badminton tournament.
Satwik and Chirag, who were seen as strong contenders for the gold medal at the upcoming Paris Olympics, struggled despite their impressive form this season, which includes two titles and two runner-up finishes. The match saw the Indian pair trailing 6-11 at the interval but managing to level the score at 17-17 after a series of tight rallies. However, crucial errors at the net allowed the Danish pair to clinch the first game.
In the second game, despite a fierce battle where the lead changed frequently, Satwik and Chirag ultimately couldn’t maintain their momentum. A series of misplays in the final moments gave the Danish duo three match points, which they converted on the second opportunity, sealing the win.
The defeat marked a disappointing day for Indian badminton, as Aakarshi Kashyap and Priyanshu Rajawat also exited in the first round of the singles competition.
