PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen Face Defeats at Malaysia Open 2025

In a challenging day for Indian badminton, PV Sindhu lost in the semi-finals of the Malaysia Open 2025 to China's Wang Zhiyi, while Lakshya Sen exited in the pre-quarterfinals against Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu. Sindhu's match ended in straight sets, and despite a strong start, Sen couldn't secure a win. Read on for a detailed account of their performances.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jan 10, 2026, 19:22 IST

PV Sindhu Falls Short in Malaysia Open Semi-Final

Indian badminton star and two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu experienced a tough loss in the women's singles semi-final against China's world No. 2, Wang Zhiyi, during the Malaysia Open 2025 on Saturday. The match concluded with Sindhu losing in straight sets, 21-16, 21-15, at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur.

The first set was fiercely contested, with both players exchanging points evenly at the start. However, Sindhu struggled to maintain her composure, and a series of errors allowed Zhiyi to pull ahead from a 14-all tie to 18-14, ultimately winning the set.

In the second game, Zhiyi initially took the lead, but Sindhu made a strong comeback, reaching an 11-6 advantage at the mid-game break. Unfortunately, after the interval, Sindhu's mistakes allowed the Chinese player to regain control, sealing the match in straight sets.

Lakshya Sen Exits Early in Pre-Quarterfinals

In earlier rounds of the tournament, India's Lakshya Sen was eliminated from the Malaysia Open 2026 after a defeat to Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu in the men's singles pre-quarterfinals at the Axiata Arena on Thursday.

Ranked 13th in badminton, Sen lost the match 22-20, 21-15 against world No. 18 Lee Cheuk Yiu in a contest that lasted 53 minutes. The 24-year-old Indian player started strong, leading 11-9 at the interval and even had four game points in the first game. However, Lee's six consecutive points shifted the momentum, allowing him to take the first game in a tie-break. Sen was unable to recover and lost the second game as well.

This defeat marked Lakshya Sen's third loss in five encounters against Lee Cheuk Yiu.