Lakshya Sen Falls Short in Quarterfinals at India Open 2026

Lakshya Sen's Performance at India Open 2026

Indian Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen put up a strong fight against Lin Chun-Yi but ultimately lost in three games, concluding his run in the India Open 2026, a prestigious Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Super 750 event held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Friday.

Sen initially took the lead by winning the first game but faced challenges on the faster side of the court, eventually losing 17-21, 21-13, 21-18 in the men's singles quarterfinals, as reported by the Badminton Association of India (BAI).

"It was a tightly contested match. The final set was particularly intense. He adapted to the conditions better than I did today, as I wasn't prepared for the wind, which was different from yesterday's conditions," Lakshya remarked post-match. He also noted, "I struggled at the net and made several errors from the front."

Entering the quarterfinals, Sen had a 0-4 record against Lin in their previous encounters, indicating the need for him to perform at his peak against the agile left-hander. His strategy involved keeping Lin near the net during the opening game, which proved effective as Sen surged ahead after the mid-game interval to secure the first game.

However, after switching sides, Sen's lifts began to falter, allowing Lin to capitalize on shorter lifts and force a decisive third game. In the final set, Sen started strong, winning the first four points, but Lin quickly regained control, dominating net exchanges. After the change of ends, Lin scored six consecutive points to lead 18-15. Although Sen managed to equalize at 18-18, Lin's aggressive play secured him the victory after an hour and eight minutes.

Upcoming Semifinals

Sen's defeat means he will now face Victor Lai of Canada, the 2025 World Championships bronze medallist, who triumphed over Chi Yu Jen from Chinese Taipei with scores of 21-18, 17-21, 21-15. In the other semifinal, former world champion Loh Kean Yew from Singapore will compete against third seed Jonatan Christie from Indonesia.

In the quarterfinals, Loh staged a comeback from a game down to defeat second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand with scores of 14-21, 21-15, 21-17, while Christie overcame fifth seed Christo Popov from France with a score of 21-19, 21-19.

Highlights from Women's Singles

In the women's singles category, former champion Ratchanok Intanon from Thailand defeated Beiwen Zhang with a score of 21-16, 21-12, while top seed An Se Young easily advanced past Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani, winning 21-16, 21-8.

The other semifinal will feature an all-Chinese matchup between second seed Wang Zhi Yi and Chen Yu Fei.

Quarterfinal Results Overview

Men's Singles Results:

• 3-Jonatan Christie (Ina) defeated 5-Christo Popov 21-19, 21-19


• 8-Loh Kean Yew (Sin) defeated 2-Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha) 14-21, 21-15, 21-17


• Victor Lai (Can) defeated Chi Yu Jen (Tpe) 21-18, 17-21, 21-15


• Lin Chun-Yi (Tpe) defeated Lakshya Sen 17-21, 21-13, 21-18

Women's Singles Results:

• 2-Wang Zhi Yi (Chn) defeated Natsuki Nidaira (Jpn) 20-22, 21-13, 21-9


• 4-Chen Yu Fei (Chn) defeated 5-Han Yue (Chn) 21-8, 21-18


• 1-An Se Young (Kor) defeated 6-Putri Kusuma Wardani (Ina) 21-16, 21-8


• 7-Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) defeated Beiwen Zhang (USA) 21-16, 21-12

Men's Doubles Results:

• 2-Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik (Mas) defeated Lee Jhe-Huei/Yang Po-Hsuan 21-19, 21-14

Women's Doubles Results:

• 1-Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning (Chn) defeated 7-Li Yi Jing/Luo Xu Min (Chn) 21-14, 21-15

Mixed Doubles Results:

• 1-Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping (Chn) defeated 8-Goh Soon Huat/Lai Shevon Jemie 21-19, 19-21, 21-18