India Open: Lakshya Sen shines as Satwiksairaj-Chirag crash out in early upsets
A confident and rejuvenated Lakshya Sen kept India’s hopes alive at the India Open on Thursday, reaching the quarterfinals with a straight-game victory over Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto. The 24-year-old snapped a two-match losing streak against the Japanese World No. 13, ensuring that India still has a contender in the men’s singles draw after a day of disappointments for the rest of the home contingent.
Lakshya rolls on in Delhi
Sen, who won the India Open title in New Delhi in 2022, recovered from an early deficit of 11-16 in the first game to outsmart Nishimoto with patient rallies and superb defense, eventually taking the opening game. The second game saw him dominate with a mix of half-smashes and clever reverse drops, sealing his win in just 50 minutes.
“I was happy with the way I played today. Against opponents like Nishimoto, you expect a long match, but I managed to stay patient,” Lakshya said after the win.
Next up, he faces World No. 12 Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei, against whom he has a 0-3 record from last year.
Feeling rejuvenated
After slipping out of the top 20 midway through 2025, Lakshya has returned strongly. The turnaround began at the Denmark Open, followed by a semifinal finish at the Japan Masters Super 500, and culminating in a victory at the Australian Open Super 500.
“I am in a much better space now, enjoying the game more. Winning the Australian Open was important, and I want to continue this form,” he said.
Heartbreak for Satwik-Chirag
The day was a tough one for India’s doubles hopes. Commonwealth Games gold medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were stunned in a marathon three-game clash by unseeded Japanese pair Hiroki Midorikawa and Kyohei Yamashita, 27-25, 21-23, 19-21, in a match lasting 1 hour 13 minutes.
The Indians briefly lost focus in the third game following a disputed net call against Satwik at 15-16. Despite contesting the decision, they could not recover and later admitted that a first-round bye may have worked against them, leaving them without match rhythm.
Women’s doubles disappointment
Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly were also eliminated in a tight three-game battle against seventh seeds Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min of China, 22-20, 19-21, 18-21, after one hour and 24 minutes of play.
Earlier, men’s doubles pair MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan bowed out in the second round against fourth seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China.
With Lakshya Sen carrying India’s singles hopes, the focus now shifts to the quarterfinals, where he aims to continue his resurgent run on home soil.
Comments are closed.