Hong Kong: India’s campaign at the Hong Kong Open Super 500 ended with two runner-up finishes on Sunday as Lakshya Sen and the men’s doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty went down to their Chinese opponents in the finals.
Lakshya Sen vs Li Shi Feng – Familiar Rivalry, Familiar Outcome
In the men’s singles final, Lakshya Sen’s wait for a Super 500 crown extended further as he lost to world No. 7 Li Shi Feng 15-21, 12-21 in just 45 minutes.
The match was their 14th career meeting, with Li once again proving too strong for the Indian shuttler. Lakshya entered the final in fine form after a thrilling semifinal victory over world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen (23-21, 22-20) in a contest that evoked memories of their Paris 2024 battle.
Sunday’s clash, however, was one-sided as Lakshya struggled to match Li’s pace and precision. This was his first final appearance since the Syed Modi Super 300 in November 2024, but his hunt for a Super 500 title since the 2023 Canada Open continues.
Satwik-Chirag vs Liang-Wang – Battle of Equals
Earlier, world No. 3 pair Satwik-Chirag fought hard but fell short against China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, losing 21-16, 14-21, 17-21 in the men’s doubles final.
The Indians started brightly, taking the first game with aggressive net play and sharp smashes. However, Liang and Wang clawed their way back, forcing errors in the second game before edging out a tense decider.
This was the 10th clash between the two pairs, with the Chinese duo extending their head-to-head lead to 7-3. For Satwik-Chirag, it marked their first final of 2025, breaking a string of semifinal exits earlier in the season.