India's run at the 2024 Indonesia Open concluded after Lakshya Sen's quarter-final defeat in the men's singles competition in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Friday, June 7.
Sen crashes out of Indonesia Open
Competing at the Istora Senayan, the world number 14, Sen, was bested 24-22, 21-18 by Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, who is ranked fifth globally in badminton. The Indian player, a 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, delivered a spirited performance in both sets against his higher-ranked adversary but ultimately fell in a 61-minute match.
The initial game saw a tight battle. Antonsen quickly moved ahead 3-0, but Sen took the lead, pushing ahead 8-5. The 22-year-old Indian was ahead 11-10 at the interval and managed to extend his lead to 20-18. Despite having two game points, Sen failed to capitalize, allowing Antonsen to rally and win the game.
In the second set, Sen started strong, leading 4-1, but his Danish opponent evened the score at 7-7. Sen held a two-point advantage at 16-14, but Antonsen secured five straight points to lead 19-16. Sen was unable to recover, losing in straight sets.
This marks Sen’s fourth defeat to Anders Antonsen in their six encounters.
Earlier in the day, another pair from India in the women's doubles, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, also experienced a setback. They participated in a gripping three-set contest against the Japanese duo, Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara, but ultimately fell short. Despite a valiant effort, they narrowly lost with scores of 21-19, 19-21, 19-21.
In mixed doubles, Sumeeth Reddy and Sikki Reddy faced a tough challenge. They were overpowered by the world's top-ranked team, Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong from China, who decisively won in straight sets, 9-21, 11-21, in just 24 minutes. However, there was still a ray of hope. Later in the day, Priyanshu Rajawat was set to compete against the current world champion, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, in what promised to be a compelling match, giving Rajawat an opportunity to prove himself against a top contender.
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