India’s medal hope in the men’s singles competition, Lakshya Sen, crashed out of the Badminton Asia Championships in the first round on Wednesday, April 8. Up against Hong Kong China’s Lee Cheuk Yiu at the Olympic Sports Center, Lakshya went down in straight games, 12-21, 19-21, in 41 minutes.
Coming in on the back of a strong showing at the All England Badminton Championships, Lakshya’s straight-games defeat to the lower-ranked Lee came as a surprise for Indian fans. The Indian struggled to find rhythm for large parts of the opening game, and although he showed greater resistance in the second, Lee’s control in the rallies and ability to close out crucial points proved decisive.
While Lakshya bowed out early, star shuttler PV Sindhu managed to negotiate a tricky opening-round test. Sindhu was pushed to the limit in a strenuous one hour and seven minute contest against Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching, eventually prevailing 15-21, 21-11, 21-19 in a three-game battle.
After conceding the opening game, Sindhu recalibrated well, using her experience to dictate the tempo in the second. The decider turned into a tight, back-and-forth contest, with long rallies and momentum swings defining the closing stages. Sindhu held her nerve at 19-19, stringing together the final two points to seal progression.
India’s best result of the day, however, came through Ayush Shetty. The rising Indian delivered a statement performance, upsetting World No. 7 and Hong Kong Open 2025 champion Li Shi Feng of China in straight games, 21-13, 21-16, at the Badminton Asia Championships to advance to the pre-quarterfinals.
Despite the former World No. 3 Li’s strong starts in both games, Ayush dominated the latter stages with composure beyond his years. In the opening game, he fought back early to level at 4-4, with Li holding a slight edge until 7-7. From there, the US Open 2025 champion wrested control of the rallies, increasing the pace and precision of his attacking play to overpower the home favourite and take the game 21-13.
The second game followed a similar pattern, with Li applying early pressure and leading into the mid-phase. Ayush, however, drew level multiple times before shifting gears at 13-13. The youngster surged ahead with six consecutive points, showcasing sharp net play and controlled aggression, to close out the match 21-16 in 51 minutes.
Ayush will next face Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen in the pre-quarterfinals.
– Ends
