India's challenging run at the
The match concluded with a scoreline of 12-21, 21-15, 21-19, marking a significant setback for the Indian contingent. This result adds to a difficult week for
Match Dynamics and Tournament Context
The contest began promisingly for the Indian pair, who secured the opening game with relative ease. However, the momentum shifted decisively in the second game as the Chinese duo established an 11-4 lead by the mid-game interval, eventually forcing the match into a decider.
The final game remained a tight affair throughout. He and Ren held a narrow 11-10 advantage at the break and managed to maintain that slight edge during the closing exchanges to seal the victory. This result represents the first time the Chinese pair has defeated Rankireddy and Shetty in four career meetings.
Broader Indian Campaign Struggles
The exit of the top-ranked doubles pair was compounded by further losses for India across the singles draws. Ayush Shetty was eliminated by Indonesia's Alwi Farhan, who claimed a 21-11, 13-21, 21-10 victory. Despite a strong second-game response from the Indian, he was unable to overcome the deficit in the third, marking his fourth loss in six encounters against Farhan.
In the women's singles category, Unnati Hooda also exited the tournament after a hard-fought three-game loss to China's Han Qianxi, finishing 23-21, 16-21, 21-16. With these results, Kidambi Srikanth remains the sole Indian representative remaining in the men's singles competition.
As the tournament progresses, attention shifts to the remaining Indian participants, including Ashmita Chaliha and Devika Sihag in the women's singles. Additionally, the women's doubles pairs of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, alongside Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda, are scheduled to take the court in their respective opening matches.
