India’s leading men’s doubles combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered a disappointing first-round defeat at the Denmark Open 2026 on Wednesday, losing a hard-fought three-game contest against China’s He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu.
The Indian pair, who entered the tournament following their recent success at the China Masters, went down 21-12, 15-21, 19-21 despite making a commanding start to the match.
Satwik and Chirag began confidently, controlling the opening game with aggressive attacking play and effective coordination. The Indian duo dominated the exchanges and comfortably secured the first game 21-12, appearing well-positioned to progress to the next round.
However, the Chinese combination responded strongly in the second game, improving their performance and putting the Indians under increasing pressure.
He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu gradually took control of the rallies and capitalised on their opportunities to win the second game 21-15, forcing a deciding third game.
The final game turned into a closely contested battle, with both pairs fighting for every point as the match approached its conclusion.
Despite their efforts to regain momentum, Satwik and Chirag were unable to hold off their opponents, who edged the deciding game 21-19 to complete an impressive comeback victory.
The result brought an early end to the Indian pair’s campaign, while the Chinese duo advanced to the round of 16.
The defeat was particularly disappointing considering Satwik and Chirag’s recent dominance over the same opponents.
Just over a month earlier, the Indian stars had defeated He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu 11-21, 21-13, 21-17 in the China Masters final in September, securing the prestigious Super 750 title.
Wednesday’s result also marked the first time the Chinese pair had beaten Satwik and Chirag in four meetings, ending the Indians’ unbeaten record in their head-to-head encounters.
India’s disappointment continued in the men’s singles competition, where rising shuttler Ayush Shetty also crashed out in the opening round.
Ayush faced Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan and suffered a three-game defeat, losing 11-21, 21-13, 10-21.
After dropping the opening game, the Indian youngster showed determination to bounce back and take the second, raising hopes of a comeback.
However, Farhan regained control in the deciding game, securing a convincing 21-10 win to eliminate the Indian.
The twin defeats marked a difficult Wednesday for India’s badminton contingent at the Denmark Open, with both the country’s premier men’s doubles partnership and Ayush Shetty making early exits.
