Lakshya Sen continued his rich vein of form as he sent the world No. 1 and top-seed Axelsen packing
One particular shot which left everyone, including Lakshya Sen's opponent Jonatan Christie stunned, was a jaw-dropping behind-the-back return.
Lakshya Sen's title win, a World Championships medal from Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty offered hope amidst a difficult 2025 for Indian badminton.
Star Indian men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the semifinals, while Lakshya Sen lost his men's singles quarterfinal match in straight games at the Denmark Open Super 750 badminton tournament, in Odense, on Friday.
Unnati Hooda humbled fourth seed Hsiang Ti Lin of Chinese Taipei in straight sets in the quarter-finals of the Hylo Open on Friday.
Olympic heartbreak sapped motivation, fitness reset and mental clarity revived game: Lakshya
Lakshya Sen is aware that his Olympic qualification is still in choppy waters but said he has been working on his "variations" and "deceptions" during the off-season to regain his world's top-10 position and seal his Paris Games berth.
Later in the day, Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen will face Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo of Indonesia.
In women's singles, Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist and 2019 world champion, will have to recover from the shock defeat against fellow Indian Unnati Hooda at the China Open.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu is set to miss the All England Championships after being stranded in Dubai due to travel disruptions. Other Indian shuttlers face challenges reaching the tournament.
Sen, who had broken the three-year jinx of first-round exits in the tournament when he defeated Singapore's Jia Heng Jason Teh on Wednesday, succumbed in the pre-quarterfinals against Hong Kong-China's Lee Cheuk Yiu 22-22, 15-21 in 53 minutes.
Lakshya Sen entered his first major final in two years after edging out Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien Chen in straight games, while the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also stormed into the summit clash.
Lakshya, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, eased past compatriot S Subramanian 21-14, 21-11, while Rakshitha overcame Shriyanshi Valishetty 19-21, 21-8, 21-13 in another all-Indian contest that clocked 58 minutes.
Lakshya Sen has been in incredible form in the last six months.
The 24-year-old Sen, a bronze medallist at the 2021 edition, went down 17-21, 19-21 in 54 minutes.
Satwik and Chirag, who finished runners-up in last week's Hong Kong Open, eked out a 24-22, 21-13 victory over Malaysia's Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap in 42 minutes
World No. 32 Ayush, who claimed his maiden Super 300 title at the US Open earlier this year, dismissed Canada's Sam Yuan 21-11, 21-15 in 33 minutes.
India's men's and women's badminton teams face a challenging draw alongside defending champions China in the 2026 Thomas and Uber Cup, to be held in Horsens, Denmark.
India's title defence in the women's team event came to a disappointing end after a 0-3 loss to a second-string China in the quarter-finals of the Badminton Asia Team Championships.
Ayush stuns Naraoka to join Satwik-Chirag, Lakshya in quarterfinals at Hong Kong Open
Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen and the pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty sailed into the semifinals of their respective events at the Hong Kong Open Super 500 badminton tournament on Friday.
India's women's and men's badminton teams suffered defeats in the Badminton Asia Team Championships, ending their campaigns in the quarterfinals. The women's team lost to China, while the men's team was defeated by Korea.
Mannepalli netted a smash as Justin won 9 of the next 13 points to level at 18-all with a sharp return to the forehand.
Prannoy fought back to level at 13-13, but Popov surged ahead as the Indian crumbled.
India's men's and women's teams advanced to the quarter-finals despite suffering narrow 2-3 defeats to Japan and Thailand respectively in their final group ties at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Qingdao, China, on Thursday.
India squandered a golden opportunity to return with two titles as both Lakshya Sen and the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty signed off with runner-up finishes at the Hong Kong Open Super 500 in Hing Kong on Sunday.
Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama, who trains P V Sindhu, had a narrow escape after an explosion occurred close to where they were stationed at Dubai Airport while travelling to Birmingham for the All England Championships.
Earlier in the day, the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanshia Crasto squandered an early lead to go down 21-18, 15-21, 19-21 against Malaysia's Pang Ron Hoo and Su Yin Cheng in the second round.
An inconsistent Lakshya Sen faltered in his opening match, while H S Prannoy endured a frustrating start to the season-opening Malaysia Super 100.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday barred Karnataka Police from taking any coercive steps against badminton player Lakshya Sen, his family members, and coach over allegations of forging birth certificates.
Defending champions Indian women's team started its campaign at the Badminton Asia Team Championships on a resounding note, blanking Myanmar 5-0 in their opening Group Y tie in Qingdao, China on Wednesday.
A gold medallist at the 37th National Games, Mannepalli was trailing 4-7 in the first game before rallying to 12-9. He then took control and scored six straight points from 15-11 to seal the game.
In women's singles, double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu also dropped one place and is now ranked 16th.
Later, India's challenge came to a crashing halt after the women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand lost their quarterfinals.
P V Sindhu bowed out, while H S Prannoy and Lakshya Sen scored hard-fought wins to advance in the Hong Kong Open Super 500 tournament.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu recounts a 'tense and scary' experience at Dubai International Airport after an explosion occurred nearby, amidst escalating tensions in the Gulf region.
World No 17 Sen, started strongly and took the first game 21-15. But Lin, bounced back to claim the second 21-17.
Indian badminton star PV Sindhu and her coach were stranded at Dubai International Airport following an explosion near their location, triggered by escalating tensions in the Gulf region.
Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama, who trains P V Sindhu, had a narrow escape after an explosion occurred close to where they were stationed at Dubai Airport while travelling to Birmingham for the All England Championships.
Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama, who trains P V Sindhu, had a narrow escape after an explosion occurred close to where they were stationed at Dubai Airport while travelling to Birmingham for the All England Championships.
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