Satwik-Chirag make winning return; Lakshya concedes first match due to back pain

India's top badminton players shine at Singapore Open, with wins for Satwik-Chirag and heartbreak for Lakshya Sen.

India's top men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty made a winning return but there was heartbreak for Lakshya Sen, who was forced to retire midway due to lower back pain at the Singapore Open Super 750 badminton tournament in Singapore on Wednesday (May 28, 2025).

Back on the court for the first time since their withdrawal from the All England Championship in March due to Chirag's back injury, the former world No.1 pair displayed no signs of rust as it beat Malaysia's Choong Hon Jian and Muhammad Haikal 21-16 21-13 in just under 40 minutes in the round of 32.

It was Satwik and Chirag's second win over the 41st-ranked Malaysian pair. The Indians are currently ranked 27th in the world.

The Asian Games gold medallists will next square off against seventh seeded Indonesian pair of Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani.

Chirag and Satwik had also missed the Sudirman Cup earlier this month, with Satwik battling with health concerns. Prior to that, they had made semifinal appearances at both the Malaysia Open and India Open this season.

India's no. 1 singles player Sen was forced to retire during his opening round clash against Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei.

Sen, currently ranked 17th in the world, started strong and took the first game 21-15. But his opponent, world No. 19 Lin, bounced back to claim the second 21-17.