Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jan 15: Former champion Lakshya Sen kept India’s hopes alive at the India Open 2026 with a commanding second-round win on Thursday, even as Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy bowed out of the men’s singles competition at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Sen showcased resilience and tactical maturity to overcome Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto 21-19, 21-11, booking his place in the quarterfinals. In contrast, Srikanth went down in a three-game battle against France’s Christo Popov, while Prannoy suffered a narrow defeat to Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew.
The Indian challenge in women’s singles also came to an end after fifth seed Han Yue of China defeated Malvika Bansod in straight games in the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament organised by the Badminton Association of India.
Sen endured a testing start against Nishimoto, struggling initially with rhythm and length. He trailed 11-16 and later 14-18 in the opening game but turned the tide by drawing his opponent into long rallies and producing some exceptional defensive returns. A five-point burst helped him snatch the first game, after which he took complete control.
The second game saw Sen raise his intensity, cleverly varying pace and mixing half-smashes with deft drops to unsettle the Japanese shuttler. Growing in confidence, the 24-year-old sealed the match in just under an hour.
Reflecting on the contest, Sen said he had to make key adjustments early on. He noted that lifting the shuttle deeper and focusing on defence helped him wrest momentum in the first game, while changing speeds in the second prevented Nishimoto from settling into his rhythm. Sen will next face Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi in the quarterfinals.
Earlier in the day, Prannoy looked poised for an upset after taking the first game against Loh Kean Yew and saving three game points in the second. However, once the match went to a decider, the Singaporean stepped up the tempo and controlled the exchanges to clinch victory.
Srikanth, too, showed flashes of his attacking prowess against Popov but could not sustain consistency against the Frenchman, who has been in strong form since winning the World Tour Finals.
In women’s singles, Malvika Bansod fought hard but was unable to counter Han Yue’s consistency and precision, exiting the tournament in the second round.
Key Results
Men’s Singles:
Lakshya Sen bt Kenta Nishimoto (Japan) 21-19, 21-10;
Christo Popov (France) bt Kidambi Srikanth 21-14, 17-21, 21-17;
Jonatan Christie (Indonesia) bt Yushi Tanaka (Japan) 21-15, 21-19;
Loh Kean Yew (Singapore) bt HS Prannoy 18-21, 21-19, 21-14;
Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand) bt Lu Guang Zu (China) 21-14, 21-16.
Women’s Singles:
An Se Young (Korea) bt Huang Yu-Hsun (Chinese Taipei) 21-14, 21-9;
Ratchanok Intanon (Thailand) bt Mia Blichfeldt (Denmark) 21-16, 21-11;
Han Yue (China) bt Malvika Bansod 21-18, 21-15;
Chen Yu Fei (China) bt Busanan Ongbamrungphan (Thailand) 21-11, 21-13;
Natsuki Nidaira (Japan) bt Tomoka Miyazaki (Japan) 21-19, 8-21, 21-16.