Rising star Lakshya Sen lit up the India Open by defeating world No. 5 Kenta Nishimoto 21-17, 13-21, 21-19, propelling himself into the men’s singles quarterfinals. The victory, in front of an adoring home crowd, highlighted Sen’s evolution into a complete shuttler.
Nishimoto’s experience was challenged by Sen’s youthful energy and strategic depth. Key moments included Sen’s retrievals from impossible angles and a game-changing smash in the third set.
Contrastingly, India’s campaign took hits with Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy’s exits. Srikanth went down 18-21, 15-21 to Anders Antonsen, unable to mount a challenge. Prannoy mirrored the result against Li Shifeng (19-21, 17-21), ending his tournament run.
This win catapults Sen’s confidence sky-high. ‘I’m ready for the quarters,’ he affirmed. The event remains a crucial Olympic prep platform.
Stay tuned as Sen aims to extend his dream run amid a field packed with global talent.