Japan Open 2026: PV Sindhu Enters 2nd Round; Satwik-Chirag Pair Pulls Out

Published 14 July 2026 · india

Japan Open 2026: PV Sindhu Enters 2nd Round; Satwik-Chirag Pair Pulls Out Published By, Last Updated: July 14, 2026, 15:32 IST PV Sindhu, currently world

Japan Open 2026: PV Sindhu Enters 2nd Round; Satwik-Chirag Pair Pulls Out Published By, Last Updated: July 14, 2026, 15:32 IST PV Sindhu, currently world no. 10, produced a compact performance to notch up a 21-14 21-11. Rapid Read PV Sindhu dictated the terms from the word go. (PTI Photo) Satwiksairaj Rankireddy’s recurring shoulder injury forced him and Chirag Shetty to retire from their opening-round match at the Japan Open on Tuesday, while P V Sindhu progressed comfortably to the second round of the women’s singles with a straight-game victory over Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching. The world No. 4 Indian men’s doubles pair, who snapped a two-year title drought by winning the Singapore Open but withdrew from the Indonesia Open last month, retired after dropping the first game 19-21 against Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard. India’s chief doubles coach Tan Kim Her confirmed that the pair will also miss next week’s China Open as they prioritise recovery ahead of the World Championships, scheduled to be held at home in August.

“It still needs some time to recover. We have at least four weeks to get back in shape ahead of World Championships," Tan told PTI. Two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu, currently ranked world No. 10, delivered a composed performance to beat world No. 37 Wong Ling Ching 21-14, 21-11 in the opening round of the BWF Super 750 tournament. India’s Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also advanced to the second round after registering a 21-16, 21-14 win over Scotland’s Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson in their mixed doubles opener. However, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde exited in the opening round after going down 11-21, 10-21 to China’s top-seeded pair of Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping. Sindhu took control from the opening exchanges, dictating the pace of the rallies to build a 7-4 lead. Wong tried to stay within striking distance, but a series of unforced errors allowed the Indian to extend her advantage to 11-6 at the mid-game interval.

The Indian ace looked in complete command, varying her attack with backhand net dribbles, deft drop shots and well-disguised half-smashes to move further ahead at 14-9. Although Sindhu committed a few errors, including a long toss and a wide cross-court net shot, Wong was unable to capitalise. A powerful straight smash earned Sindhu seven game points, and she sealed the opening game on her second opportunity. Sindhu picked up where she left off after the change of ends, racing to an 8-2 lead before stretching it to 11-3 at the interval. The margin continued to grow as Wong struggled to find consistency, allowing Sindhu to surge to a commanding 16-5 advantage. The Malaysian briefly won three consecutive points, but another error quickly handed the momentum back to the Indian. Wong’s smash into the net gave Sindhu 10 match points. The Indian missed the first with a long return before Wong found the net on the following point, handing Sindhu a comfortable straight-game victory.