Denmark Open 2023: Satwik-Chirag Wihdraw From Tournament, Hand Walkover In First Round

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Odense (Denmark), October 17: Asian Games 2023 gold-winning pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on Tuesday (October 17) withdrew from the Denmark Open 2023, handing a walkover to their first round opponents.

World number 1 pair Satwik-Chirag were scheduled to face Malaysia's Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi in the opening round of the men's doubles event at the Arena Fyn in Odense, Denmark. But the top doubles pair from the country have withdrawn from the tournament.

The reason for Rankireddy and Shetty pair's withdrawal is yet to be known, but they follow compatriot and men's singles player HS Prannoy, who announced his wihdrawal on Monday (October 16), in pulling out of the tournament.

With that, the Indian doubles challenge at the Denmark Open 2023 comes to an end as Satwik-Chirag were the only the doubles team from the country that had entered the tournament in Odense, Denmark.

Prannoy has in fact pulled out of the Denmark Open as well as the French Open due to a back injury that troubled him during his maiden bronze medal-winning run at the recently-concluded Asian Games.

"We are not looking at playing any tournament this month. Something also came up in the MRI as well, so I will have to be out for 2-3 weeks, so I will not be able to play Denmark and France," Prannoy told PTI. "I will need to rest and then start with rehab."

Although Prannoy has withdrawn from the singles event, the likes of Kidambi Srikanth and Lakshya Sen will be in men's singles action. Meanwhile, two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will be in women's singles action alongside Akasrhi Kashyap later in the day.