With confidence high and rhythm restored, India’s top men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are gearing up to mount another deep run at the French Open Super 750 badminton tournament, beginning here on Tuesday.
The world No. 6 duo have been in sublime form in recent weeks, reaching the finals of both the Hong Kong and China Masters before falling in the semifinals of the Denmark Open. Their consistency, after a period marred by injury setbacks, has revived hopes of another title at one of their most cherished venues — the French Open, where they lifted their maiden Super 750 crown in 2022 and repeated the feat in 2024.
Their campaign begins against the Indonesian pair of Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Rahmat Hidayat, a testing opener for the Indians, who will look to translate their rich vein of form into another title run. Paris holds fond memories for the pair, who also clinched their second world championship bronze here earlier this year.
While Satwik and Chirag headline India’s challenge, the singles contingent faces equally stiff contests. Lakshya Sen, buoyed by his runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open, opens his campaign against Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen, a rematch of their three-game duel from last week’s Denmark Open.
Rising shuttler Ayush Shetty, who claimed the US Open title, faces a formidable opponent in Japan’s Koki Watanabe in his opening round, while the women’s singles draw pits India’s emerging talents against some of the sport’s finest.
Also read: Satwik-Chirag lose China Masters final to Korea in straight games
Anmol Kharb, whose breakthrough semifinal appearance at the Arctic Open Super 500 turned heads earlier this month, faces top seed An Se-young of Korea, a daunting challenge for the young Indian. Anupama Upadhyaya meets fourth seed Han Yue of China, and Unnati Hooda, fresh from her semifinal run at the World Junior Championships, takes on Malaysia’s Karupathevan Letshanaa.
The men’s doubles draw also includes Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy and Sai Pratheek K, while women’s doubles features an all-Indian first-round clash between Kavipriya Selvam–Simran Singh and the Panda sisters, Rutuparna and Swetaparna.
In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, alongside Rohan Kapoor and Rutvika Shivani Gadde, are set to test their mettle against seasoned international duos as they aim to deepen India’s presence in the doubles discipline.
For India’s shuttlers, the French Open arrives at a crucial juncture in the calendar, offering valuable ranking points and a chance to sustain momentum ahead of the season’s final stretch. Having rediscovered their competitive edge, Satwik and Chirag’s charge in Paris may well set the tone for another milestone moment in Indian badminton.
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