India’s campaign at the BWF Super 750 Denmark Open 2026 suffered further setbacks on Wednesday as the fifth-seeded men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, along with men’s singles player Ayush Shetty, were eliminated in the Round of 32 at the SJF Bank Arena in Odense.
Satwik-Chirag joined PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen on the list of India’s notable early exits at the Denmark Open, after they were knocked out in their opening matches on Tuesday.
Fifth-ranked Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty fell in a gripping three-game contest against China’s world No. 37 pairing of He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu.
The Indian duo started in command, executing sharp flat exchanges and heavy attacks to clinch the opening game 21-12. However, the Chinese pair adjusted quickly in the second, countering India’s offensive rhythm and leveling the match with a 21-15 reply.
The deciding game turned into a neck-and-neck duel. Satwik and Chirag fought back from deficits late in the frame, but He and Ren held their nerve during crucial net scrambles to seal the upset 12-21, 21-15, 21-19 in a tense finish. The defeat marked their first head-to-head loss against the Chinese tandem.
Ayush Shetty Falls To Familiar Rival
In men’s singles action, 19-year-old Ayush Shetty was unable to clear his opening hurdle against Indonesia’s reigning World Junior Champion Alwi Farhan.
Shetty had a sluggish start, dropping the first game 11-21 as Farhan dictated tempo from the baseline. The Indian shuttler rallied emphatically in the second game, dominating the frontcourt to force a decider with a 21-13 win.
Farhan, however, reasserted control right out of the gates in the third game, running away with unanswered points to close out the match 21-11, 13-21, 21-10.
Poor Indian Campaign
The exits deepened India’s struggles at Odense this week, following earlier first-round eliminations of two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen.
Women’s singles contender Unnati Hooda also bowed out after a tight three-game battle against China’s Han Qianxi (21-23, 21-16, 16-21).
