Indian badminton aces Kidambi Srikanth and Lakshya Sen faced disappointment at the French Open Super 750 tournament in Rennes. Both players exited the competition after losing their respective men's singles matches on Wednesday.
First on the court at the Glaz Arena was Kidambi Srikanth, who couldn't overcome the challenge posed by Toma Junior Popov of France. Srikanth succumbed to a defeat in the round of 32, with a scoreline of 17-21, 15-21 in a match lasting 44 minutes. The world number 25 French player exploited Srikanth's errors and secured a relatively straightforward victory. Interestingly, Srikanth had held a 3-1 head-to-head advantage over his opponent leading up to this encounter.
Following Srikanth's loss, Lakshya Sen took the court to face Arnaud Merkle, also from France. Lakshya endured a 15-21, 18-21 defeat in a match that lasted 55 minutes. Despite briefly showing signs of a comeback in the second game by taking the lead, Lakshya couldn't maintain the momentum. Notably, this was their first meeting on the BWF World Tour, and Lakshya had previously defeated Merkle in 2016 during their junior years.
Unfortunately, it was a forgettable day for the Indian contingent as both of their established badminton stars suffered straight-game defeats. This disappointing performance came on the heels of their early exits in the Denmark Open the previous week.
Kidambi Srikanth and Lakshya Sen, two highly promising talents in Indian badminton, will likely regroup and continue to strive for success in future tournaments. Despite their setbacks in the French Open, both players have demonstrated their capabilities on the international stage, and their fans eagerly await their return to top form in upcoming competitions.
In conclusion, the French Open Super 750 tournament brought disappointment for Indian shuttlers Kidambi Srikanth and Lakshya Sen as they faced defeats in their respective matches, signaling the need for continued effort and determination on their badminton journey.
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