India Open: Lakshya shines as Sat-Chi exit early, keeps India in contention

India Open: Lakshya Sen keeps India alive as Satwiksairaj-Chirag crash out.

Rejuvenated Lakshya Sen reached the quarterfinals of the India Open on Thursday, emerging as India’s lone hope in men’s singles after a day of early exits for the rest of the Indian contingent. The 24-year-old, who won the title in New Delhi in 2022, defeated Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto in straight games, ending a two-match losing streak against the World No. 13. Despite trailing 11-16 and 14-18 in the first game, Lakshya stayed patient, engaging Nishimoto in long rallies and producing some excellent defensive play. He took five consecutive points to seize the lead and wrapped up the opening game, then dominated the second game with clever variations, sealing the win in 50 minutes.

“I expected a long match against Nishimoto, so I’m happy with the way I played today,” Lakshya said. He will now face World No. 12 Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei, a player he has lost to three times previously.

Strong finish to 2025 boosts confidence

Lakshya’s resurgence began late last year, with a quarterfinal finish at the Denmark Open, a semifinal at the Japan Masters Super 500, and a title at the Australian Open Super 500. “I’m in a much better space now, enjoying the game more, and I want to continue this form,” he said.

Satwiksairaj-Chirag upset

Men’s doubles former champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered a narrow defeat against unseeded Japanese pair Hiroki Midorikawa and Kyohei Yamashita, 27-25, 21-23, 19-21, in a 1 hour 13 minutes marathon. A disputed net call at 15-16 in the third game briefly disrupted the Indian pair, who admitted that a first-round bye may have affected their match rhythm.

Women’s doubles heartbreak

Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly exited after a hard-fought three-game loss to seventh seeds Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min of China, 22-20, 19-21, 18-21, in a match lasting 1 hour 24 minutes.

Men’s doubles pair MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan were also eliminated in the second round by fourth seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China.

With Lakshya Sen carrying India’s hopes, all eyes are now on his quarterfinal clash as he looks to extend his resurgent run at the India Open.