Lakshya Sen Crashes Out Against Vitidsarn as India’s Singles Challenge Ends in Thailand Open

The relentless defence of Kunlavut Vitidsarn proved to be the decisive factor on Friday.

As India’s top men’s singles shuttler Lakshya Sen bowed out of the Thailand Open Super 500 tournament. Facing the World No. 2 in a challenging quarter-final clash, Lakshya put up a spirited fight but eventually went down 21-19, 21-16 in 53 minutes.

Playing in front of a home crowd, Vitidsarn once again showcased why he is regarded as one of the toughest defensive players on the circuit. The Thai shuttler absorbed pressure with remarkable consistency, retrieving shot after shot and forcing errors at crucial moments to seal the contest.

Lakshya began the match on the back foot, trailing 2-11 early in the opening game. However, he gradually found his rhythm, mixing sharp net play with deceptive angles and powerful smashes to mount a strong comeback. At one stage, he reduced the deficit to just a single point, pushing Vitidsarn into an uncomfortable phase of the game.

Despite the momentum shift, the Thai held his nerve to close out the opening game 21-19 after 25 minutes of intense rallies. The second game saw Lakshya struggle to maintain consistency as unforced errors crept into his game, particularly on the slower side of the court. His attacking intent often backfired, with several shots landing in the net or going long.

Vitidsarn capitalised on the lapses, maintaining his trademark defensive discipline and extending rallies until the Indian eventually cracked under pressure. The Thai closed out the second game 21-16 to complete a straight-games victory.

With Lakshya’s exit, India’s singles campaign at the tournament came to an end, following PV Sindhu’s earlier defeat to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi.

Satwik-Chirag march into semi-finals

Earlier in the day, top-seeded Indian men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty stormed into the semi-finals with a commanding 21-12, 21-13 win over Japan’s Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami in 41 minutes at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok.

The Asian Games champions dominated from the outset, racing to a 10-0 lead in the first game. Although the Japanese pair briefly fought back in the second game to level at 6-6, the Indian duo quickly regained control and maintained their superiority throughout.

Satwik and Chirag will now face third seeds Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin of Malaysia for a place in the final.

Sindhu exits after strong fight

In women’s singles, PV Sindhu started strongly by taking the opening game 21-19 against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi. However, the Japanese star bounced back to claim the next two games 21-18, 21-15 in a closely fought encounter lasting one hour and 10 minutes, ending India’s hopes in the category.