India's Doubles Pair Concedes Walkover at Korea Open
Sonali Singh and Ritika Thaker withdrew from their women's doubles opener at the USD 500,000 Super 500 tournament in Yeosu, South Korea.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Tennis
Sonali Singh and Ritika Thaker conceded a women's doubles walkover in the opening round of the Korea Open, a USD 500,000 Super 500 badminton event held in Yeosu, South Korea. In men's doubles qualification, Achutaditya Rao Doddavarapu and Arjun Reddy Pochana lost 14-21, 5-21 to Wang Yue Hang and Zewei Xie.
Why it matters
The withdrawal removes an Indian women's doubles pair from the draw before a ball was played, and the qualification loss ends the campaign of the men's pair in the event. The results shape which Indian players advance in a tournament that carries Super 500 ranking points.
The men's doubles qualification loss came in two sets, 14-21 and 5-21, against Wang Yue Hang and Zewei Xie. The reason for the walkover by Sonali Singh and Ritika Thaker was not stated.
The players
Sonali Singh
Indian badminton doubles player who withdrew from her women's doubles opening-round match at the Korea Open with partner Ritika Thaker.
Ritika Thaker
Indian badminton doubles player who withdrew with Sonali Singh from the women's doubles opening round at the Korea Open.
HS Prannoy
Indian badminton singles player who is set to compete in men's singles at the Korea Open.
The details
Singh and Thaker were scheduled to face Laudya Chelsea Griselda and Nozomi Shimizu in the women's doubles opening round but withdrew, giving their opponents a walkover. Doddavarapu and Pochana were eliminated in men's doubles qualification by Wang and Xie, while HS Prannoy, Tanvi Sharma, Anmol Kharb, Dhruv Rawat and K Maneesha are listed to compete for India in singles and mixed doubles.
Timeline
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: women's doubles walkover and men's doubles qualification loss at the Korea Open in Yeosu.
Season Trajectory
The Korea Open is a Super 500 event on the Badminton World Federation calendar, where results contribute to the world rankings that determine entry and seeding at higher-tier tournaments. Early exits in qualification and walkovers at this tier can affect a player's ranking trajectory heading into the next stage of the season.
Withdrawals and qualification exits like these remove players from the draw before main-round play begins, which changes the matchups for remaining entrants. Fans tracking Indian entries should note that Prannoy, Sharma, Kharb, Rawat and Maneesha remain listed for later rounds.
The takeaway
Early withdrawals and qualification losses at Super 500 events remove players from the draw and affect world ranking points. Tracking entry lists and walkover notices gives a clearer picture of which players advance.
Further reading
For more on the sport's competitive calendar, see our Tennis coverage.
