Tokyo, July 14: Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu and the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto advanced to the second round of the Japan Open 2026 after registering straight-game victories at the BWF Super 750 tournament on Tuesday.
Former world champion Sindhu defeated Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching 21-14, 21-11 in just 36 minutes to make a confident start to her campaign in women’s singles.
In mixed doubles, Dhruv and Tanisha also impressed with a 21-16, 21-14 win over Scotland’s Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson to move into the next round.
However, India suffered setbacks in other events. Mixed doubles pair Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde were outclassed 11-21, 10-21 by top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China.
In men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun fought back to level the match by winning the second game, but eventually lost 13-21, 21-17, 7-21 to Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan.
India’s top men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also made an early exit. The duo retired after losing the opening game 19-21 against Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard, with Satwik reportedly troubled by a recurring shoulder injury.
Sindhu remains India’s biggest hope in the tournament as she looks to continue her winning run in Tokyo.
