Hong Kong Open: Lakshya, Satwik Chirag’s Title Drought Continues After Final Loss

The Chinese shuttlers dominated the $500,000 Hong Kong Open on Sunday, claiming all titles at the Super 500 event. This included a victory that dashed Indian hopes as Lakshya Sen and the men’s doubles teams of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost in the final. Lakshya Sen faltered in the men’s singles summit clash, losing to Chinese second seed Li Shi Feng.

Sen, aiming to win his first title since the Syed Modi International last December, lost 15-21, 12-21 in 45 minutes to Feng. The Chinese player, a former All England champion, continued his winning form with his seventh win in 14 outings against the Indian, who is now ranked world No.20.

While Feng clinched his second title of the year along with an Asian Championships bronze, the tournament was important for Sen as it was his first final this year. After struggling for form during the season, Sen finally struck form, battling past quality opponents to reach the final.

Rankireddy and Shetty also lost in the final, defeated by familiar foes Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. The Chinese duo secured a 19-21, 21-14, 21-17 win in just over an hour. Both the Indian and Chinese pairs were looking for their first title of the year, however, it was the Chinese pair who had the upper hand.

Rankireddy and Shetty’s last win came in May 2024 when they won the Thailand Open. Despite the loss, Shetty expressed satisfaction with their performance.