Similar errors haunt Lakshya, exits India Open in opening round; Prannoy goes down fighting in frustrating day for hosts
Lakshya Sen’s India Open campaign ended rather unceremoniously in the opening round, as the star shuttler crashed out in the first round against Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei. Despite high expectations, the 21-year-old Indian shuttler fell 21-15, 21-10 in just 37 minutes, leaving fans at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in stunned silence. The match saw Lin’s unrelenting pace hampering Lakshya’s visible gameplay from the offset.
The defining moment of the match came midway through the second game when Lakshya, trailing 7-11, dived to return a barrage of smashes from Lin. Although his spirited twin-defensive shots, which caused him to fall, won the admiration of the crowd, Lin’s third smash proved unreturnable, extending his lead to 12-7. The point epitomised the Indian’s valiant yet futile efforts to stay in contention against an opponent in peak form.
“I couldn’t play my game today. My movements were a bit slow. I was prepared for a good match, my strategy was good, but today wasn’t the day,” a visibly disappointed Lakshya admitted during the post-match interaction.
This defeat marked Lakshya’s second consecutive first-round exit, following a similar disappointment at the season-opening Malaysia Open against Chi Yu Jen, where his unforced errors haunted him, too. Despite entering the match ‘fully prepared’, as he mentioned in the media interaction, Lakshya was undone by Lin’s aggressive gameplay and his own inability to adapt under pressure.
The opening game set the tone as Lin raced to an 8-3 lead with a combination of attacking shots and Lakshya’s unforced errors. While Lakshya managed to narrow the gap briefly, Lin maintained control, sealing the game 21-15. Reflecting on his performance, Lakshya acknowledged the gaps in his game.
“I wasn’t getting the hit from the back in the first game. It was important to start well and not give him too many chances. Today, it was hard to match his pace,” he said. “In patches, I was able to curb him, but I couldn’t do it consistently.”
Lakshya’s recent struggles highlight a broader pattern of inconsistency since his Paris Olympics campaign. With only one title – the Syed Modi International – under his belt during this period, he has struggled to replicate the form that saw him reach the semi-finals in Paris. His ongoing battle with unforced errors and difficulty adapting to faster opponents has further complicated his path to regaining top form.
A day of mixed fortunes for India
Lakshya’s defeat was part of a challenging day for Indian shuttlers, though there were moments of hope. The women’s doubles pairing of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto provided a rare silver lining, cruising to a comfortable 21-11, 21-12 win against compatriots Kavya Gupta and Radha Sharma. However, the rest of the Indian contingent endured heartbreaks.
Malvika Bansod came agonizingly close to pulling off an upset against third seed Han Yue of China. She saved two game points in the opener and mounted a spirited comeback from 7-14 to 16-16 in the second game. Yet, Han’s superior consistency prevailed as Malvika succumbed 20-22, 21-16, 21-11 in an hour-and-six-minute battle.
Priyanshu Rajawat also fought valiantly against sixth seed and 2023 World Championships silver medallist Kodai Naraoka. The Indian shuttler saved a match point in the second game to force a decider but ultimately fell 21-16, 22-20, 21-13 in a grueling one-hour-and-22-minute encounter.
For HS Prannoy, making a comeback after battling chikungunya, the match against Su Li Yang of Chinese Taipei was as much a test of fitness as skill. Despite taking the first game, Prannoy ran out of steam, losing 16-21, 21-18, 21-12 in an hour and 13 minutes.
The Indian shuttler made his comeback to the game after the Paris Olympics earlier this month at the Malaysia Open, where he reached the round of 16. Prannoy returned after a gruelling battle with Chikungunya and admitted he is at ‘60 to 70 per cent’ of his fitness levels.
The ailment had also significantly hampered his campaign at the Paris Olympics, where he lost to fellow compatriot HS Prannoy in the knock-out round.
For now, the Indian badminton veteran is looking at one tournament at a time; the absence of a long-term target – the Olympics, in his case – brings more clarity to his focus, both in terms of fitness and performance.
“I think it’s pretty short ones (targets) right now, and I’m not really looking way too ahead because of what has happened in the last one year,” Prannoy said post-match, acknowledging that he is currently at “60 to 70 percent” of his fitness levels. The veteran shuttler emphasized focusing on one tournament at a time as he navigates his return to competitive badminton.
As the tournament progresses, the focus shifts to the remaining Indian hopefuls. India’s top women’s shuttler PV Sindhu takes centrestage on Day 3, as she meets Suizu Manami of Japan, while men’s double pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will also eye a quarter-final berth.
The sole remaining Indian player in the men’s singles field, Kiran George, takes on world no.17 Alex Lenier of France.
Axelsen battles but enters RO16
Among the foreign stars, Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen fought back from a game down to beat Chi Yu Jen (Tpe) 16-21, 21-11, 21-13 in the men’s singles opening round while An Se Young defeated Chiu Pin-Chian of Taipei 22-20, 21-15.
