India's Hopes Dashed at Japan Open: Lakshya Sen and Doubles Team Exit Early

The Japan Open has ended in disappointment for Indian badminton players as Lakshya Sen and the men's doubles team of Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were eliminated in the second round. Lakshya faced a tough match against Japan's Kodai Naraoka, while Satwik and Chirag struggled against the Chinese duo of Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. Anupama Upadhyaya was the last Indian standing but also fell short in her match. Discover the details of their performances and the challenges they faced in this prestigious tournament.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 17, 2025, 19:33 IST

Japan Open Campaign Concludes for Indian Players

Tokyo: The Japan Open proved challenging for Indian badminton players, as both Lakshya Sen and the men's doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were eliminated in the second round, marking the end of India's participation in this Super 750 event on Thursday.

Lakshya, currently ranked 18th in the world, faced a tough match against Japan's Kodai Naraoka, ultimately losing with scores of 19-21, 11-21 after nearly an hour of play.

The 23-year-old shuttler had shown promise in his opening match, securing a convincing victory over China's Wang Zheng Xing with scores of 21-11, 21-18, but was unable to maintain that momentum.

In men's doubles, Satwik and Chirag encountered a formidable challenge against the fifth-seeded Chinese pair of Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, suffering a defeat with scores of 22-24, 14-21. This match featured a clash between former world No. 1 teams.

With this victory, the Paris Olympics silver medalists Wei Keng and Wang Chang have now increased their head-to-head advantage over the Indian duo to 7-2.

Despite a slow start, the Indian pair managed to take an 18-14 lead in the first game but could not sustain it, allowing their Chinese opponents to clinch the game. The world number five duo continued their strong performance in the second game, while Satwik and Chirag struggled with their smashes and defense, resulting in their fourth consecutive loss to Wei Keng and Chang.

The only remaining Indian competitor, Anupama Upadhyaya, put up a valiant effort against China's second seed Wang Zhi Hi but ultimately fell short in the round-of-16, losing 21-13, 11-21, 12-21 after 55 minutes.