Japan Open 2026: Sindhu makes winning start; Dhruv/Tanisha progress; Satwik/Chirag retire hurt
Tokyo, July 14 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu and the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto advanced to the second round of the Japan Open 2026 after registering straight-game victories in their respective opening-round matches at the BWF Super 750 tournament in the Japanese capital on Tuesday.
The 2019 BWF Champion defeated Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching 21-14, 21-11 in just 36 minutes to make a confident start to her campaign. Dhruv and Tanisha also progressed with a 21-16, 21-14 win over Scotland’s Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson.
However, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde bowed out in the mixed doubles after losing 11-21, 10-21 to top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China.
In men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun fought back to win the second game before going down 13-21, 21-17, 7-21 to Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also exited in the opening round after retiring against Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard following the first game due to Satwik’s recurring shoulder injury.
Returning to competition for the first time since withdrawing from the Indonesia Open in June, the world No. 4 duo could not complete their comeback match against Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard. The Indians dropped a closely-fought opening game 19-21 before deciding not to continue, with Satwik once again troubled by the shoulder injury that has sidelined the pair for the past month.
The latest setback also rules the pair out of next week’s China Open, as the duo now looks to prepare themselves for the BWF World Championships in India next month.
The injury comes just weeks after Satwik and Chirag had ended a two-year wait for a BWF World Tour title by lifting the Singapore Open crown in May, only for Satwik to aggravate his shoulder problem during the opening round in Indonesia.
The tournament, carrying a prize purse of USD 950,000, is a key stop on the BWF World Tour as players chase crucial ranking points ahead of next month’s World Championships in New Delhi and the Asian Games later this year.
The field boasts several of the sport’s biggest names, including world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi, Anders Antonsen, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, and Kodai Naraoka in men’s singles, while defending champion An Se Young, Wang Zhi Yi, Chen Yu Fei, and four-time winner Akane Yamaguchi headline the women’s draw.
India is yet to win a Japan Open title, and the contingent will be eager to end that drought while building momentum ahead of two of the biggest events on the 2026 badminton calendar.
Results (Round 1):
Women’s Singles: P V Sindhu bt Wong Ling Ching (Malaysia) 21-14, 21-11.
Mixed Doubles: Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto bt Alexander Dunn/Julie Macpherson (Scotland) 21-16, 21-14.
Mixed Doubles: Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping (China) bt Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Shivani Gadde 21-11, 21-10.
Men’s Doubles: Daniel Lundgaard/Mads Vestergaard (Denmark) bt Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty 21-19 (retired).
Men’s Doubles: Lee Jhe-Huei/Yang Po-Hsuan (Chinese Taipei) bt Hariharan Amsakarunan/M.R. Arjun 21-13, 17-21, 21-7.
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