Lakshya Sen paid the price for inconsistency and his inability to control both the shuttle and the pace of the match to bow out of the India Open Super 750 event on Friday, bringing an end to home challenge in the competition.
Sen lost 21-17, 13-21, 18-21 to Taiwan’s Chun-Yi Lin in the quarterfinals for his fourth loss in as many face-offs, including in the 2025 edition here as well. The Indian had a shaky start and kept hitting wide, unable to counter the drift before finding his rhythm, taking off the pace at the net, and avoiding going too deep.
But the Taiwanese upped the ante in the second game by quickening the returns, controlling the proceedings with a mix of powerful smashes and delicate drops at the net, reeling off nine straight points to go from 2-5 to 11-5 to not allow Lakshya back in.
Despite the third game staying close in terms of points and Lakshya taking three-point leads twice, Lin was never in trouble, and once he edged ahead, he finished off at the first chance. He will next be up against Canadian Victor Lai.
World No. 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn crashed out against Loh Kean Yew in three games, the Singaporean winning only his second face-off in their 10 meetings, the previous one dating way back in 2015. Loh’s reward is a meeting with Indonesian Jonatan Christie, another player he has never defeated on the World Tour in eight previous meetings.
Among the women, Korean World No. 1 An Se Young continued her winning march with an easy 21-16, 21-8 win against Putra Kusuma Wardani and will take on Ratchanok Intanon in a repeat of their semifinal clash here last year, seeking her 13th win in 14 meetings while Zhi Yi Wang and Chen Yu Fei will face off in an all-Chinese clash.
The results (quarterfinals):
Women: Zhi Yi Wang (Chn) bt Natsuki Nidaira (Jpn) 20-22, 21-13, 21-9; Chen Yu Fei (Chn) Yue Han (Chn) 21-8, 21-18; Ratchanon Intanon (Tha) bt Beiwan Zhang (USA) 21-16, 21-12; An Se Young (Kor) bt Putri Kusuma Wardani (Ina) 21-16, 21-8;
Men: Jonatan Christie (Ina) bt Christo Popov (Fra) 21-19, 21-19; Loh Kean Yew (Sin) bt Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha) 14-21, 21-15, 21-17; Victor Lai (Can) bt Yu Jen Chi (Tpe) 21-18, 17-21, 21-15; Chun-Yi Lin (Tpe) bt Lakshya Sen 17-21, 21-13, 21-18.
Round Two important results:
Women: Yue Han (Chn) bt Malvika Bansod 21-18, 21-15; Yi Jing Li/Xu Min Luo (Chn) bt Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand 20-22, 24-22, 23-21.
Men: Lakshya Sen bt Kenta Nishimoto (Jpn) 21-19, 21-10; Christo Popov (Fra) bt Kidambi Srikanth 21-14, 17-21, 21-17; Loh Kean Yew (Sin) bt HS Prannoy 18-21, 21-19, 21-14; Wei Keng Liang/Chang Wang (Chn) bt Hariharan Amsakarunan/MR Arjun 21-15, 21-15; Hiroki Midorikawa/Kyohei Yamashita (Jpn) bt Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy 25-27, 23-21, 21-19.
Published on Jan 16, 2026
