Hon Jian-Haikal hit another bump in comeback trail
The world No. 41, still trying to rediscover their form after a long layoff, were outclassed 21-16, 21-13 by India's former world No. 1 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty.
Hon Jian-Haikal were making their fourth straight tournament appearance since Haikal returned from a six-month injury layoff, but their results have been far from ideal — this being their third first-round exit after early defeats in Taiwan and Thailand.
Their only bright spot came at the Malaysia Masters last week, where they stunned world No. 14 Kittinupong Kedren-Dechapol Puavaranukroh to reach the second round.
But consistency in their game remains elusive.
The latest defeat doesn't bode well for their ranking prospects.
Once ranked as high as world No. 18 in September last year, they now risk tumbling further outside the world's top 32 — a bracket that gains players direct entries into Super 750 and 1000 events.
Hon Jian-Haikal will hope to make amends at the Indonesia Open next week — a Super 1000 meet.
A solid run there could help push them back into the world top 40, which is crucial to secure main draw access in Super 500 and Super 300 tournaments.
Satwiksairaj-Chirag may have also struggled with a series of injuries and dropped to No. 27, but they remain a force to be reckoned with.
The Indian duo, coached by former Malaysian international Tan Kim Her, are making their first tournament appearance since the All England in March.
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