Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty crash out of Denmark Open after losing to Japanese duo in semifinal

India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, experienced semi-final heartbreak at the Denmark Open 2025 badminton tournament in Odense on Saturday. The Indian duo fought a grueling battle at the Jyske Bank Arena but ultimately lost to the Japanese pair of Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi with a scoreline of 23-21, 18-21, 21-16.

Satwiksairaj-Chirag's run at Denmark Open ends

The challenging match lasted 68 minutes.This defeat marks the sixth semi-final exit for the Indian duo on the BWF World Tour this season. Rankireddy and Shetty had previously made top-four exits at the China, Singapore, India, and Malaysia Opens, along with a semi-final loss at the BWF World Championships earlier in the year.

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Their journey in Odense began with a hard-fought victory against Scotland's Christopher and Matthew Grimley. Following that demanding opening match, Rankireddy and Shetty secured a more comfortable win, disposing of the Taiwanese pair of Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan, before encountering another tough challenge in the quarter-finals against Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Rahmat Hidayat.For their semi-final encounter, the Indian duo faced the Japanese World No.10, Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi. Despite having beaten them multiple times in the past, Rankireddy and Shetty were unable to replicate their previous success, as Hoki and Kobayashi proved simply too strong on the day.

Japan's Takuro and Yugo hunt down Sat-Chi

The semi-final clash began on a thrilling note, with the Japanese pair of Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi quickly asserting their dominance to take an 11-6 lead in the opening game. Though Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty mounted a valiant effort after the interval, managing to draw the score level at 14-14, the Japanese duo ultimately prevailed in a tight battle to win the first game, 23-21.The second game, however, unfolded differently. While both pairs started on an equal footing, Rankireddy and Shetty managed to pull ahead to an 8-5 lead. From there, the Indian pair remained consistently out of reach for Hoki and Kobayashi, allowing them to claim a well-deserved victory in the second game, 21-18, and level the match at one game apiece. Unfortunately for Indian badminton enthusiasts, the deciding third game saw a magnificent resurgence from the Japanese team. Displaying a clinical attack coupled with an impenetrable defense, Hoki and Kobayashi quickly tamed Rankireddy and Shetty to clinch the game 21-16. With this win, the Japanese pair advanced into the finals, bringing the Indian duo's campaign to a close. Despite the semi-final exit, this result still marks Rankireddy and Shetty's best-ever showing at the Denmark Open.

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Following the conclusion of their run at the Denmark Open, the Indian men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will next return to action at the French Open. The Super 750 tournament is scheduled to take place in Cesson-Sevigne between October 21 and 26, and the duo will arrive at the event as the defending champions. Rankireddy and Shetty will be joined in France by several other Indian shuttlers, including Lakshya Sen. Additionally, India's rising stars, Anmol Kharb and Ayush Shetty, are also slated to compete in the tournament.