India's hopes for a double title victory at the Hong Kong Open Super 500 were dashed on Sunday, as both Lakshya Sen and the top men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty finished as runners-up in their respective finals. Despite a strong showing throughout the tournament, the Indian contingent couldn't overcome their opponents in the final stretch, signaling a need for stronger finishes at major events.
After the loss, Chirag Shetty acknowledged the frustration of finishing second but maintained a positive outlook. "You would want to go and win that title but I think, credit to them, they played well," he said. "There’s always a next time and overall happy with the performance." The Indian pair had a good run in the tournament, reaching their first final in 16 months, and will look to build on this performance in upcoming events.
The men’s doubles final was a more tense affair, with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty battling for 61 minutes against China's Olympic silver medalists, Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. The Indian duo, who had a strong head-to-head record against their opponents, won the first game 21-19, but failed to maintain their momentum. They ultimately lost the match in a three-game thriller, with scores of 14-21 and 17-21 in the final two games. The defeat marks the end of their perfect record in Super 500 finals.
Both Sen and the "Sat-Chi" duo had a chance to cap a solid tournament with a title, but their defeats highlight the razor-thin margins at the highest level of badminton. While they showed promise, their struggles to close out crucial matches underscore the challenges of competing against the world’s best. The Indian shuttlers will now turn their focus to the next leg of the tour, with lessons learned from their Hong Kong campaign.
In the men’s singles final, Lakshya Sen went down to a familiar rival, world No. 4 Li Shi Feng of China, with a score of 15-21, 12-21. Sen, who was competing in his first final since the Syed Modi Super 300 last November, struggled to counter Li's relentless attack, which has proven dominant in their recent encounters. After the match, Sen reflected on his performance, saying, "It’s been a good week... A lot of positives to take from this tournament. I just need to believe in myself more."
