India Open: Midorikawa, Yamashita Dash Home Hopes
Home favourites Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's bid to reclaim their 2022 men’s doubles crown ended in heartbreak as they went down 27-25 21-23 19-21 to Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa and Kyohei Yamashita in a…
· Tanmoy Mookherjee
Home favourites Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's bid to reclaim their 2022 men’s doubles crown ended in heartbreak as they went down 27-25 21-23 19-21 to Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa and Kyohei Yamashita in a gripping second-round clash at the YONEX-SUNRISE India Open 2026 in New Delhi on Thursday.
The third-seeded Indian duo had advanced to the second round via a walkover, a factor that may have worked against them as the Japanese pair countered their aggressive play with sharp defensive transitions and swift counterattacks.
“They are very tall players, so we knew their net play would be strong,” Yamashita said. “We focused on avoiding their dominance at the net and using the entire court effectively.”