Did Lakshya Sen Make It to the Quarters at Macau Open?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Lakshya Sen reaches the quarterfinals after a tough battle.
- Ayush Shetty exits early with a disappointing loss.
- Tharun Mannepalli upsets the top seed.
- India continues to show strength in badminton.
- Exciting matches ahead for other Indian players in doubles.
New Delhi, July 31 (NationPress) India experienced a mixed bag on Thursday at the Macau Open as Commonwealth Games gold medalist Lakshya Sen pushed through to the men’s singles quarterfinals, while his fellow countryman Ayush Shetty faced elimination in the Round of 16 at the BWF World Series Super 300 tournament ongoing in Macau.
The second seed, Lakshya, had to put in significant effort against Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo, ultimately securing a hard-fought victory with scores of 21-14, 14-21, 21-17 in a gripping 67-minute match. The 23-year-old displayed remarkable resilience and exceptional court control to earn his spot in the last eight of the tournament.
Lakshya’s next challenge will be against the winner of the contest between Indonesia’s Yohanes Saut Marcellyno and China’s Zhu Xuan Chen for a coveted place in the semifinals.
On the other hand, disappointment loomed for Ayush Shetty, the seventh seed, who was eliminated after a straight-sets defeat to Malaysia’s Justin Hoh. Shetty struggled to find his rhythm, succumbing to scores of 21-18, 21-16.
In a surprising turn of events, India’s Tharun Mannepalli delivered the upset of the day, taking down the top seed and World No. 15 Lee Cheuk Yiu from Hong Kong in a thrilling three-game showdown. Despite losing the first game 19-21, the 23-year-old Tharun rallied back to win 21-14, 22-20, concluding the match in just over an hour.
Currently ranked World No. 47, Tharun has now advanced to his second Super 300 quarterfinal this year, having previously reached this stage at the German Open in February. He will next face World No. 87 Hu Zhe An from China.
In the mixed doubles category, the fifth-seeded Indian duo of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto faced a narrow defeat after initially winning the first game against Malaysia’s Jimmy Wong and Lai Pei Jing.
In women’s singles, young talent Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj fought valiantly before losing to second seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand in a three-game encounter.
Later that day, men’s doubles stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, seeded second, are set to compete against Japan’s Kakeru Kumagai and Hiroki Nishi. In women’s doubles, Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra will take on Indonesia’s eighth-seeded pair Meilysa Puspitasari and Rachel Rose.