Badminton World championships: Ayush, Sindhu have it easy; lacklustre Lakshya suffers a shock defeat
Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen suffered a surprise second-round defeat to American Garret Tan at the World Championships. Meanwhile, P.V. Sindhu and Ayush Shetty secured comfortable victories to advance to the next stage of the tournament.
Why it matters
The tournament highlights the unpredictable nature of professional badminton and the emergence of younger, lower-ranked talent on the global stage.
When Garret Tan took a medical timeout leading 17-16 in the decider, it looked like Lakshya Sen would finally get the stroke of luck he so desperately needed.
Instead, the 18-year-old American of Taiwanese descent would jump, smash and punch his way to the biggest win of his career so far. He packed off the home favourite 19-21, 21-19, 21-17 in an hour and 13 minutes in the second round of the badminton World championships here on Wednesday.
Having scraped through his opening-round match, Lakshya, ranked 14th and a bronze medallist at the global tournament, was expected to have an easy outing against the World No. 92 Tan.
But, on a day Ayush Shetty had an easier time than in his sparring sessions and P.V. Sindhu broke little sweat to reach the pre-quarterfinals, Lakshya floundered against an opponent who did not allow him any space or momentum.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in